The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing oversees restaurant inspections in Iowa. (Photo via Getty Images; DIAL logo courtesy of Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing)
State and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and grocery stores for hundreds of food-safety violations in the past month, forcing some of them to temporarily shut down.
The inspectors reported finding rodent droppings, moldy lettuce, food stored in containers that once housed chemicals, foul-smelling spoiled food, and meats that appeared to have never been inspected by state or federal regulators.
The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.
The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals’ website .