Moldy Food, Chunky Milk, Found During Chandler Restaurant's Health Inspection

Moldy food found during a recent health inspection.Photo byRashed PaykaryonUnsplash

Around greater Phoenix, the health code grading scale is voluntary. Restaurants are not required to partake in the letter grade system. While the majority of restaurants do, as an “A” grade is something to be proud of and can be used in marketing (or, at the very least, to inform patrons of the cleanliness of the establishment), not all restaurants opt-in. This does not exempt the restaurants from annual inspections though, and they can still receive the equivalent of poor scores and failing grades. One Chandler restaurant received five Priority Violations, which would have guaranteed no greater than a D score during its most recent inspection.

On August 7, a health inspector visited Solterra at 350 South Alma School Road in Chandler. After receiving a “C” grade earlier in the year, the restaurant decided to opt out of participating in the grading system. Due in part to the lower grade, the restaurant was visited just seven months after its typical inspection. Over the course of the August 7 inspection, seven violations were identified. If a restaurant receives at least three Priority Violations or four total violations it is given no better than a D score. 

During the visit, the health inspector saw a cookline worker adjusting their face mask and hat, then immediately touching food without washing their hands. This was a repeat violation, as the same problem was identified during the previous visit. 

While a repeat Priority Violation, which directly contributes to the increased possibility of foodborne illness or injury, there were other major problems. The second came when mold was found on hash browns and feta cheese. Additionally, dairy items with “chunks of a white residue” in the cooler were found as well. All of the identified items were thrown away at the time of the inspection.

Proper cold holding temperatures were a problem at the restaurant. Food stored in walk-in coolers, cold-holding prep areas, and refrigerators must not exceed 41 degrees. Anything about this temperature falls into the “Danger Zone” as bacteria will grow and thrive in the warmer temperatures. Despite this, food was tested at upwards of 74 degrees, over 30 degrees warmer than accepted. A ham and omelet mix tested at 65 degrees while bowls of cut watermelon reached the 70s. Both of the foods were removed and discarded at the time of the inspection.

A final Priority Violation came when the inspector found various foods without prep dates. All foods must have prep dates to determine the age of the food and when it should be consumed or discarded.