Unsafe food and sanitizing problems helped a Broward Fresh Market fail inspection

Food and sanitation violations led to The Fresh Market in Pembroke Pines failing state inspection last week.

Florida Department of Agriculture inspectors examine supermarkets, convenience stores, other packaged food sellers, food distributors, food storage and processing facilities. They can’t close a place down, as state restaurant inspectors can for a failed inspection, but they can drop Stop-Use Orders on equipment and areas and Stop Sales on food.

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Stop Sale powers were used by Inspectors Catalina Ordonez and Tasheka Edmond during their visit to 2200 N. Flamingo Rd. on Jan. 23, when they found the following among other violations:

▪ In the meat area, “Pieces of raw beef were found in direct contact with butter inside the meat display cold unit.”

▪ Chickpea salad measuring 44 to 46 degrees — that needed to be 41 degrees or under — was hit with a Stop Sale after four hours in the display cold unit didn’t bring it down.

▪ Then again, the produce section walk-in cooler measured 44 to 46 degrees.

▪ Rotisserie chicken, chicken salad, broccoli sprouts, leafy green salad, cut watermelon all measured outside safe temperatures, but were stuck in refrigeration instead of smacked with Stop Sales.

▪ The deli handwash sink next to warewash sink was blocked by a garbage can. A rolling cart did the same to a handwash sink in the bakery. That says neither handwash sink could be considered a high-traffic area.

▪ In the deli and produce areas, the warewash sanitizer measured 400 parts per million, about twice what it should be.

▪ Wiping cloths should be in sanitizer between uses as the cloths in the meat and bakery areas weren’t.

▪ In the deli area, multiple washed containers were put on top of each other, so they were “found wet nested on shelf across from the sink.”