Flies and mold are never a welcome sight in a kitchen. Less obvious, but equally dangerous issues can stem from staff who don’t understand proper food safety. Health inspectors from the Maricopa County Environmental Services department found all of the above in Valley kitchens last month.
Inspectors drop in at local restaurants unannounced, where they check the front- and back-of-house for issues that could pose a risk to staff or customers.
They fill out inspection reports and record health code violations on a two-tier scale. Foundational violations are problems that could cause larger issues, such as a lack of soap could lead to improper handwashing. Priority violations are major issues that cause an immediate danger…