The Department of Health conducted a routine inspection of Whitt’s BBQ on Wilma Rudulph Blvd on Wednesday and gave the restaurant a score of 68. 30 pounds of cooked beef was embargoed, some of it was cooked 21 days ago, and was still in the walk-in-cooler for use. The maximum allowed is seven days. A dozen other violations were noted, including no running water in the smokehouse, a sink clogged up with black standing water, meat products too warm in the walk-in-cooler, and too cool in the food warmers, by over forty degrees.
Vacuum sealed packages of whole chicken and ribs were not date marked, and Whitt’s was not using the state’s required HACCP plan. A hold order was issued on all these products until clarification is received on the date marking and production dates of these food items.
A list of the violations is below:
- Employee observed drinking from an authorized cup and returning to work without washing hands. COS by providing training and education.
- Hand sink in the smokehouse is not operational. No water available.
- Observed employee scrub and rinse a knife and return it to the make line without sanitizing. COS by employee setting up 3 comp sink and sanitizing knife in water with 50ppm chlorine before using.
- Pork, ribs, chicken in retherm sink temped 146-150 during inspection after reheating for 2.5 hours. Water in sink temped 152. PIC stated all items were taken out of WIC at 12:00 and placed in retherm sink at the same time. Items were not reheated within the 2-hour requirement. Informed PIC of the problem and advised turning up the temperature on retherm sink or reheating less product at a single time to reheat all items to 165 above within 2 hours.
- Chicken cooling in WIC temped 60-83 after cooling 2.5 hours- the chicken was stacked in a deep pan, chicken on top temped 60, chicken on bottom temped 83. PIC put the chicken in a single layer on sheet trays and on an ice bath to rapidly cool to PIC will provide training to cook about cooling requirements and methods.
- Chicken wings in warmer temped 120 during the inspection. COS by PIC reheating wings to 165 or above as required.
- Pork, beef, turkey, and ribs in WIC temped 43-44 during the inspection. TCS items in cold holding must maintain 41 or below.
- Cooked beef in WIC date marked 4/13-4/22. Items embargoed. Training provided about rotating products and discarding if not used within 7 days.
- Lighter fluid is stored on the shelf beside a bag of seasoning and above containers of
vinegar in the smokehouse. COS by PIC moving lighter fluid to a safe storage location. - Case of potatoes stored on floor in the dry storage area. Store all food at least 6
inches above the floor to prevent contamination. - Wet, soiled wiping cloth stored on top of reheating sink. Store all wiping cloths in sanitizing solution to prevent contamination.
- Shelves in WIC have a very heavy buildup of dirt, dust, and debris.
- Mop sink in the smokehouse is not draining. Black standing water filling mop sink
almost to the top.
Score has since been fixed.