Black mold in an ice machine and Bolognese sauce sitting at unsafe temperatures landed several Phoenix-area restaurants in this week’s round of health inspections, according to county records that fed into a fresh “Dirty Dining” rundown.
As reported by Arizona’s Family, Maricopa County inspectors documented the moldy ice and temperature control issues during separate visits, along with other priority violations that can increase the risk of foodborne illness. The station’s Dirty Dining segment pulls its material straight from the county’s most recent inspection reports.
Inspection Records Are Public
Full inspection reports are posted on Maricopa County’s online Restaurant Ratings portal, where anyone can read inspector notes and see whether violations were corrected, according to Maricopa County Environmental Services. The county’s weekly report is the official log of what inspectors observed and is the primary source used for local Dirty Dining-style roundups.
Why Temperature And Mold Matter
The FDA Food Code sets clear temperature rules for a reason: hot foods should be kept at 135°F or above and cold foods at 41°F or below, since time and temperature control are key to slowing bacterial growth. When ice inside a machine turns visibly moldy or slimy, it can contaminate drinks and ready-to-eat items…