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State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past several weeks, including offenses related to long-expired food, unlicensed operators and dirty kitchens.
The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level.
Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, care facilities and other businesses between Nov. 13 and Dec. 31. (Last year, DIAL began withholding from public disclosure all food-safety inspection reports for eight days past the date of inspection.)
The inspections department reminds the public that its reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing’s website.
Bobby’s Grocery and BBQ, 305 Crisman St., Dysart
During a Dec. 11 visit, a state inspector cited this grocery store and full-service deli for operating without a license and for holding numerous foods at unsafe temperatures — including smoked sausage pasta, fried chicken, potato salad and Oreo fluff. The pasta and chicken were discarded, while the salads were moved to a colder location in the same cooler.
The inspector also reported the business did not have a date-marking system in pace to ensure food was fresh and safe to eat, and some foods had incorrect preparation and discard dates on them. Also, hard boiled eggs, pulled pork, cooked vegetables, cooled nacho cheese sauce, and fried chicken had no preparation or discard dates on them.
The inspector also found that food items that had been prepared and packaged within the store — including smoked sausage pasta, pasta salad, smoked pork roast, and fried chicken — were not labeled with ingredients or allergens.
“There is a buildup of food spills and crumbs under and around equipment in the deli area,” the inspector reported. “The floors in the deli are not clean. … License is expired.”
The inspector did not approve the application for a new license, noting that a penalty fee for operating without a license would first have to be paid, and indicated a revisit would be scheduled to confirm corrective action was taken to address some of the violations that were found.
On Dec. 18, another inspection took place and the business was again cited for storing food in a retail sales case at temperatures that were unsafe. Barbecue meats, fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, shredded cheese and dessert salad were found to be out of temperature and were discarded. The facility’s license application was then approved.
Big R’s Bar & Grill, 103 Main St., Elberon
During a Dec. 31 visit, a state inspector cited this Tama County establishment for 11 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. Violations included failure to ensure that all food came from approved sources as evidenced by “venison peppersticks” that were labeled “not for sale” and were stored in a chest freezer alongside other food items. The restaurant was also cited for home-canned vegetables that were stored on kitchen shelves alongside food used to serve patrons.
“Cooking pots and pans on the stove were not clean and have not been used since yesterday,” the inspector noted. “Onion slicer and potato dicer have dried food debris and buildup (although) the person in charge states they have not been used for several days.”
In addition, the flat-top grill and the flame grill each had a “large buildup” of an unspecified nature, and the kitchen sink designated for handwashing was blocked with several dirty dishes and was not accessible for handwashing. Also, household pest-control chemicals were stored in areas where food and clean equipment were being stored, an open package of rodent bait was found in the kitchen, and the food-preparation table and breading station were soiled.
“Floors are not kept clean in the kitchen and dry storage rooms,” the inspector reported. “Living quarters within the facility were open to the restaurant during the inspection.”
State records show the restaurant last underwent a routine inspection in April 2021.
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