Food inspections: Springfield grocery store had deli items up to 12 days past use-by date
An April 18 inspection by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department revealed various deli items that were anywhere from a day to 12 days out of date at a local supermarket.
Price Cutter No. 34, 1831 W. Kearney St., was cited for having "a number of deli items" with use-by dates of April 6, April 10, April 12 and April 17, a priority violation, according to the April 18 food inspection report. The violation was corrected by discarding the items. This isn't the first time this Price Cutter has been cited for having items past their expiration. They were also cited for having items beyond their use-by dates in a June 2023 report, a February 2023 report, an April 2022 report and an October 2021 report. All of those reports covered routine inspections.
Food inspections take place one to three times a year, depending on the type of food served, the population served, difficulty of food preparation and past history. Restaurants preparing food from raw ingredients are inspected more often "than convenience stores that serve only non-potentially hazardous foods, such as popcorn and soda," according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
Each report identifies what was happening at the establishment at that time. Consumers who want to know whether a violation is a one-time thing or a pattern are encouraged to refer to previous reports.
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Issues found during inspection fall into either priority or non-priority violations. Priority violations impact the safety of the food, such as cross contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food, improper food temperature and poor personal hygiene and employee health. Multiple priority violations can lead to an establishment being shut down. Non-priority violations alone do not directly affect food safety, such as dirty floors, sticky tabletops or outside trash cans not being covered.
Here are food inspections from the past week:
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Alli's Family Restaurant, 4525 W. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Six non-priority violations: Observed number of non-food contact surfaces that were not clean such as shelving, carts, exterior of toasters and equipment; observed range hood and wall under dishline were dirty; observed large gap under outside door; observed wall next to kitchen door and bottom of cabinet containing pop are in disrepair; observed water dripping under lavatory in women's restroom; observed dish machine spraying water when it runs, which staff said service was already called to address.
Amazin Buffet, 2501 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. April 17 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed ambient temperature of one-door prep table at sushi station was 46 degrees Fahrenheit, roe was 45 degrees and crab was 46 degrees, which was corrected by voluntarily discarding potentially hazardous foods and will require re-inspection. Five non-priority violations: Observed Shagg Roll sushi on sushi bar tested at 52 degrees and was not marked for time as control, education was provided and violation corrected on site; observed employee handle raw chicken and wash hands in prep sink rather than approved handwashing sink, which was corrected and education provided; observed three bulk containers of cooking ingredients not distinguishable by the naked eye were unlabeled, which was corrected on site and education provided; observed large amount of debris buildup was present in kitchen along floor, walls, cooling units and storage racks; observed walk-in cooler and prep table cooler seals are separated and falling off doors, education provided.
Angela's Kitchen Creations, 1645 W. Republic Road, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
Arris' Pizza - Republic, 738 E. U.S. Highway 60 East, Springfield. April 17 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Two priority violations: Observed chicken at 49 degrees and pepperoni at 44 degrees in prep cooler; observed dried food debris on cleaned slicer. One non-priority violation: Observed doors and handles of coolers not clean.
Asian Hut, 1500 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed neither cabbage nor multiple baking sheets of cooked chicken in walk-in cooler date marked, which was corrected on site and education was provided. Three non-priority violations: Observed tin foil being used as a grease catch on side of cooler, education provided; observed mop head stored directly in wringer of mop bucket, education provided and corrected on site; observed can opener had debris residue on blade, which was corrected on site and education was provided.
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Big Momma's Coffee & Espresso Bar, 217 E. Commercial St., Springfield. April 18 re-inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
Biggs Two LLC, 312 S. South Ave., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
Blue Heron, 206 E. Commercial St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
Bubba's BBQ, 504 N. West Bypass, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. Facility was labeling potentially hazardous foods with date made; inspector suggested facility label food with "use-by" date instead to minimize confusion. One priority violation: Observed the blade on the can opener had dried food debris. Three non-priority violations: Observed floor by three-vat sink was not clean; observed substantial amount of wood debris, ashes and buckets of debris and water on back parking lot; observed outside dumpster was half full and one lid was open.
Captain D's No. 3545, 2964 S. National Ave., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed fan covers and shelves in walk-in cooler area were not clean; observed cabinets under soda fountain machines were not clean; observed wall in women's restroom in bad repair with several gaps along the wall corner seam.
Central High School, 423 E. Central St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
Cesar's Old Mexico, 2627 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed tray of salsa left outside of cooler was 54 degrees and not marked for time as control, which was corrected on site. No non-priority violations.
College Street Cafe, 1622 W. College St., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed non-food grade bucket used to store flour, which was corrected on site and education given. Two non-priority violations: Observed frozen ham on counter to thaw, which was corrected and education given; observed employee belongings stored amongst single-use articles and kitchen utensils in storage room.
Darla's Diner, 104 W. Jackson St., Willard. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed dried-on food debris on can opener, which was corrected by putting into dish water to wash. No non-priority violations.
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Delaware Elementary, 1505 S. Delaware Ave., Springfield. April 17 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
Denny's, 4760 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed slicer, knife and two metal sheets stored dirty with food debris, which was corrected by cleaning or discarding utensils. No non-priority violations.
Domino's Pizza, 2642 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
El Poblano Grill & Cantina, 2629 N. Kansas Expressway, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. A re-inspection will be made on or after May 3 to check some core violations. Dish machine was out of detergent when inspector arrived, another bucket of detergent attached when inspector brought to restaurant's attention. No priority violations. Five non-priority violations: Observed pan of raw fish sitting on the edge of a pan with packages of macaroni and cheese, several boxes of raw chicken were stored above raw beef in walk-in refrigerator, both relocated and education given; observed front cover missing from ice machine; observed numerous floor tiles missing throughout back of restaurant, wall in employee bathroom in poor repair, electrical outlet needs to be capped off and covered if not in use; observed hot water faucet at bar sink was not operational and dish sprayer won't turn off; observed staff unable to find any chlorine test strips to check dish machine.
Expedia Springfield Cafe, 5000 W. Kearney St., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
Fast-N-Friendly No. 7, 3535 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed two blocks of mouse poison stored behind soda syrup and freezer without tamper-proof containers, which should be in place so pests cannot carry pesticide with them; observed at least four ceiling tiles missing or falling down in back kitchen area.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, 615 W. El Camino Alto Drive, Springfield. April 17 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed veggie burgers on ice measured 55 degrees. One non-priority violation: Observed no hair or beard restraints on food prep employees, hair restraints were provided but no beard restraints necessary.
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Golden Palace, 1313 W. Kearney St., Springfield. April 17 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed deep fried chicken and egg rolls on counter were 47 degrees and 48 degrees, respectively, which was corrected by refrigerating them and giving education; observed flat of raw-shell eggs stored above raw cabbage, broccoli and green onions, which was corrected by moving shelf. Three non-priority violations: Observed inside and outside surfaces of ice machine were not clean; observed soap dispenser in men's restroom was empty, which was filled with soap prior to exit; observed mop sink had heavy buildup and some cabinets were not clean.
Greenstay Hotel & Suites, 222 N. Ingram Mill Ave., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed potentially hazardous foods not being held at or below 41 degrees in a two-door cooler. Items in cooler were voluntarily discarded or moved to another cooler that was below 41 degrees. No non-priority violations.
Hammons Field Concession Cardinals Cantina, 935 E. Trafficway St., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Hammons Field Concession Stand No. 3 and Hit and Run No. 1, 935 E. Trafficway St., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Hammons Field Concession Stand No. 5 and Hit and Run No. 2, 935 E. Trafficway St., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Hammons Field Concession Stand No. 6/The Roost, 935 E. Trafficway St., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Hammons Field Concession The Creamery, 935 E. Trafficway St., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Harter House - Meat, 1500 E. Republic Road, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed deli meat not properly date marked with discard date, which was corrected by properly date marking all ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods with seven-day discard date. No non-priority violations.
Heady Bar-B-Que Co., 573 E. Elm St., Republic. April 17 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed insufficient sanitizer in three-vat sink, which was corrected at time of inspection. No non-priority violations.
Hemingway's, 1 Bass Pro Drive, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
Hickory Hills School, 4650 E. Division St., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
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Hilton Garden Inn - Pavilion Grill, 4155 S. Nature Center Way, Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
Holland School, 2403 S. Holland Ave., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
Jimmy John's No. 609, 3536 S. National Ave., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed mold on caulking at three-vat sink.
Jimmy's Egg, 3315 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
JOB417 LLC, 319 E. Walnut St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
Krab Kingz, 3014 S. National Ave., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed dish machine did not have active sanitizing solution. Service request was made at time of inspection and a re-inspection will be performed.
Kum & Go No. 1481, 3623 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed six cans of cheese dip on shelves have areas of dent, which was corrected by pulling product to return to the vendor. No non-priority violations.
La Cucina Italiana, LLC, 540 W. McDaniel St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
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La Hacienda, 1370 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
Lavish Grazing Holdings LLC, 4268 S. Hillcrest Ave., Springfield. April 19 – Result: active. No violations noted.
Logan Elementary School Cafeteria, 7287 E. Farm Road 164, Rogersville. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
Logan-Rogersville Primary School, 512 S. Sentry Drive, Rogersville. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
London Calling Pasty Company - Price Cutter Plus, 4228 S. National Ave., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed potato slicer found dirty with food debris and metal lid on drying rack with sticker still attached, which was corrected by notifying manager to wash, rinse and sanitize items. Two non-priority violations: Observed bag of batter mix with a hole in seam leaking onto other products and a bottle of lemon juice found unrefrigerated, which was corrected by discarding items; observed seven floor tiles in kitchen area missing and need to be replaced.
Luca Family Restaurant, 2025 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations.
Mercy Mocha I, 1235 E. Cherokee St., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
OTC Marketplace Cafe, 1001 E. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed scrambled eggs on serving line at 112 degrees, which was corrected on site by discarding eggs; observed can opener used the previous day has build-up on blade, which was corrected by taking can opener to dish room. No non-priority violations.
Pipkin Middle School, 1215 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
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Pizza Hut No. 4082, 1705 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
Plaza Mexico, 4249 W. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. Make sure hot hold unit is not unplugged. One priority violation: Observed some over-the-counter medications being stored above food in dry storage area. Eight non-priority violations: Observed three chubs of ground beef were being thawed on counter at room temperature, which was corrected by putting in the refrigerator at inspector's request; observed two frozen wrapped chunks of meat being thawed in a bucket of standing water, inspector gave education on why this is not acceptable; observed two boxes of peppers and one bag of corn husks being stored on floor of walk-in refrigerator; observed tortilla chip machine missing its lid; observed hot water shut off at hand sink in bar area; observed ice scoop in ice bin with handle touching drink ice; observed staff unable to locate chlorine test strips for checking sanitizer; observed outside dumpster mostly full with one lid open.
Potter's House, 724 S. National Ave., Springfield. April 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Price Cutter No. 20 Deli/Salad Bar, 335 N. Nolting Ave., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. Observed two open packages of deli meat with no date labeling, which was corrected with education and by voluntarily discarding product; observed ten pounds of open deli meat past the expired date, which was corrected with education and by voluntarily discarding product. Three non-priority violations: Observed physical facilities and equipment were not clean; observed presence of equipment and utensils no longer in use or needed for facilities operation; observed no paper towels at employee hand-washing sink at front counter of deli.
Price Cutter No. 20 Produce, 335 N. Nolting Ave., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed sanitizer test strips were expired; observed cutting boards were discolored with severe scoring.
Price Cutter No. 34 Deli, 1831 W. Kearney St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed deli items with use-by dates of April 6, April 10, April 12 and April 17, which was corrected by discarding items. Two non-priority violations: Observed a few packages of pasta salad and chicken meals not labeled with ingredients; observed that facility had several vials of quaternary ammonia test strips but all were expired.
Price Cutter No. 34 Meat Dept., 1831 W. Kearney St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violation. Three non-priority violations: Observed walk-in refrigerator fan missing a cover; observed three unshielded fluorescent light fixtures; observed meat room fan covered in dust and debris.
Price Cutter No. 34 Produce, 1831 W. Kearney St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed hand sink in produce area was not clean; observed three ceiling tiles with water damage in produce prep room; observed some areas of floor in produce prep room were not clean.
Price Cutter No. 34 Retail/Bakery, 1831 W. Kearney St., Springfield. April 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed no paper towels at employee hand sink, which was corrected by bringing paper towels from shelf and putting at each hand sink; observed floor around three-vat sink was not clean.
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Rapid Roberts No. 105, 3106 W. Battlefield Road, Springfield. April 28 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed following areas need to be cleaned more — walk-in cooler fan covers, soda dispenser backsplash, soda dispenser cabinet counter.
Rapid Roberts No. 127, 1357 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed sleeves of single-use plastic foam cups stored directly on floor, which was corrected on site.
Rapid Roberts No. 130, 3405 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed bleach powder and liquid hand soap stored directly over toilet paper on retail shelf, manager agreed to relocate chemicals; observed two packages of Allegra that expired July 2021 and January 2023, three packages of Alka Seltzers that expired November 2023 and February 2024 and a package of Tylenol that expired in February 2023, which was corrected by discarding medicines. One non-priority violation: Observed walk-in cooler shelves and pipes need to be cleaned more regularly due to build-up of mold and dust.
Red's Giant Hamburg Inc., 2301 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 23 re-inspection – Result: active. On site for re-inspection due to dishwasher sanitizer and to verify temperature of new prep cooler. All violations have been corrected. New prep cooler installed and dish machine dispensing proper concentration of sanitizer.
Remington's Kitchen, 1645 W. Republic Road, Springfield. April 20 routine inspection – Result: active. Discussed cleaning ceiling and fan covers in walk-in. No violations noted.
Rountree School, 1333 E. Grand St., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.
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Select Specialty Hospital, 1630 E. Primrose St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed not properly cold holding a potentially hazardous food when milk in reach-in cooler was at 44 degrees. A work order was put in at time of inspection and re-inspection will be performed. No non-priority violations.
Sequiota School, 3414 S. Mentor Ave., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
Simply Delicious LLC, 2340 W. Grand St., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. Three priority violations: Observed four plastic spatulas with chips and cracks, education given and corrected on site; observed counter top can opener blade and a food scoop not clean, which was corrected during inspection; observed bowl of chicken salad found without date labeling, education given and corrected on site. One non-priority violation: Observed food equipment and utensils in storage room by dining area, found the lights in the room without shielding.
Springfield Catholic High School, 2340 S. Eastgate Ave., Springfield. April 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed.
Subway No. 2832, 1735 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violation. One non-priority violation: Observed mold in ice machine and buildup under soda dispenser.
Sushi Kabar - Price Cutter, 355 N. Nolting Ave., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed employee hand-washing sink had no paper towels; observed wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer.
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Taco Bell No. 003851, 3340 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. April 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited during inspection.
The Wheelhouse, 1845 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection. No violations cited.
Tsuki LLC, 306 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed wall of right to mop sink has hole.
USA Investments MO216, 1894 S. State Highway 125, Rogersville. April 18 re-inspection – Result: active. No violations observed during inspection.
X-Golf, 225 E. Primrose Ave., Springfield. April 22 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.
Susan Szuch reports on health and food for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Food inspectors find expired deli items at Springfield grocery store
