When diners sit down for a meal in Sacramento County, the last thing on their minds should be sharing their dining experience with German cockroaches or rat droppings scattered throughout the kitchen. Yet this year has seen numerous local restaurants and markets shut down for severe health infractions, raising serious questions about food safety standards in the region.
The scope of the problem is significant, with Sacramento County conducting roughly 14,000 inspections annually. While 97% of restaurants pass their inspections, about 1% result in closures for serious violations. Sacramento County reports that vermin infestation is the most common reason for inspectors to close food-serving facilities.
Recent Shocking Discoveries
The violations being uncovered paint a disturbing picture of food safety failures. Sacramento County health inspectors closed two local restaurants after finding more than 90 German cockroaches scattered across the facilities. At Pho Saigon Bay, inspectors found a total of 57 live German cockroaches and 18 dead roaches throughout the pho restaurant.
At SAAP SAAP Hmong Thai Cuisine on J Street, inspectors discovered more than 200 live and dead cockroaches throughout the Thai restaurant. The violations extend beyond just cockroaches, with Sacramento County health inspectors shutting down three local restaurants after discovering cockroaches, rodent droppings and dirty knives.
The Rodent Problem
At The Backyard in Rancho Murieta, inspectors found approximately 48 rodent droppings in various locations around the bar and grill. About 20 rodent droppings were discovered inside a box of steam table plastic liner below a food preparation table, according to inspection reports. Inspectors also saw rodent droppings on restaurant floors and dirty knives that had been put away on a rack but were unclean…