We got a "Critical" health code violation today

[pcuezze]

for…wait for it…

My cook having a water bottle with a lid on the line. He wrote it up and everything. So I guess I kind of get it - touching food, then the lid, etc. But jeez. He could’ve just told us and had him throw it away.

Of all the things I have to worry about from a Health inspector now I have to worry about bottled water.

FML

pC
Next Door Pizza

 

[smeagol8]

That’s what they do - I’ve never had a health inspector give me a friendly warning about anything. I assume they assume if they don’t make a big deal about it, you’ll just wait until they are gone and back comes the bottle. I’m pretty sure all you have to do to make that bottle legal is put a straw in it…

 

[NicksPizza]

:shock:

you gotta show your inspectors more love. Man, that’s a kick in the head for a critical. We have had them and gotten no flack before. We mostly use cup/lid/straw. Well, used. Seriously, do you have a strong relationship with the inspector(s)? Is it adversarial? I do feel for you with that one.

 

[amelmor]

Our health inspector is the best health inspector in the whole wide world!!

** I hope she’s reading this!

 

[pizzapirate]

lol, yeah got that one too. I was walking around in the back with a coke in my hand. When we read the report later after he left we saw that we were written up for a “major” violation. If that is what they are writing you up for take it as a good sign.

 

[Roger]

I guess they have to write something down to make it look like they are doing their job. I don’t think that I’ve ever had a perfect health inspection (maybe 1 or 2 in my 11 years of business). They always seem to find something minor.

A few years back we had a newly hired health inspector doing our inspection. She came in with an attitude and looking real hard for things she could write up for. She ended up writing us up for a few things that weren’t even violations. She wrote us up for not wearing gloves while we made pizzas. We actually had to stop making food until I went to the store and bought latex gloves. The health inspector stood there the whole time and made sure that we didn’t make anything. We had plastic gloves but she wanted latex. This ordeal shut us down for a half hour on a Friday night! I tried to explain to her that gloves weren’t required when preparing pizza, just when serving slices (which we don’t sell at that shop) but she didn’t want to hear any of it. I called the health dept. the following day to confirm what I already knew - you don’t need them. Anyways, she ended up doing an inspection for the diner down the road the following week and that owner wasn’t as nice as I was to her. She ended up getting into an argument with the inspector, kicking her out of her diner and called the health department to complain. Needless to say, that was last time she has done a health inspection in this area.

 

[Registered_Guest]

Roger:

She wrote us up for not wearing gloves while we made pizzas. We actually had to stop making food until I went to the store and bought latex gloves. The health inspector stood there the whole time and made sure that we didn’t make anything. We had plastic gloves but she wanted latex. This ordeal shut us down for a half hour on a Friday night! I tried to explain to her that gloves weren’t required when preparing pizza, just when serving slices (which we don’t sell at that shop) but she didn’t want to hear any of it.

Get ready, wearing gloves while making pizza will probably be in every state within the next couple of years. It is coming to mine next year, I believe.

The requirement being that you can’t touch any “ready to eat” food with bare hands. Cheese, veggies, pre-cooked meats, etc., are all “ready to eat”. Yep, I know, you wouldn’t wan’t to eat that cold pre-cooked sausage - but you could. It doesn’t have to be cooked, and will be considered “ready to eat”.

 

[NicksPizza]

Reg Guest,
I fought that battle back when the new US regs were put in place. The no contact w/ RTE seemed stupid to me when we had written policy, and me patrolling the kitchen, that NO food from pizza table was to be used in a non-cooked application. salads had their own station and veg, and sandwiches are all sauteed then baked/toasted in oven. I pled my case and was politely told I made sense, but the law is the law. Sheesh.

If we follow the law as indictated, then plastic gloves to make a pizza . . . then gloves off to put it into oven (avoid napalm expeience) . . . to sink to wash hands (see glove procedure) . . . get new glove . . . . repeat. We kept a special box of gloves beside the pizza prep for risky ingredients and health inspector visits. We also have a scrupulous handwashing culture for the most part. Lots of chapped hands and paper towel used per shift.

DISCLAIMER: I srongly urge you to follow the rules and regulations in your jurisdiciton and avoid food borne illnesses and inspector born score reductions.

 

[gabagool]

In our state, you must wear gloves preparing READY TO EAT DISHES…salads, slaw, etc. ANYTHING going into an oven, griddle, flattop, DOESNOT have to be prepared wearing gloves…which makes total sense…

Cant stand inspectors, the number of stories I remember in 30 years in this business that show TOTAL lack of knowledge could fill a book…

BUT, always, always, always YES them to death and show them “respect” cause in a busy restaurant, there are ALWAYS things they could make a big deal about…

That bottle story is another checkmark in the hideous catagory.

But, yes, mam or sir…whatever you say…smile, take notes and watch em strut out of there