Moldy produce and past-its-prime refrigerated foods were still sitting on shelves at several Valley grocery and convenience stores when Maricopa County health inspectors showed up for routine checks the week of June 22. Inspectors told staff to throw out the spoiled goods and, in at least one case, pull equipment out of service, a reminder that basic temperature control and sanitation issues are not just a big-box problem.
According to The Arizona Republic, county teams inspected nearly 1,230 grocery stores, restaurants and other food-serving spots that week and cited four locations for seven priority food-safety violations. The businesses called out in the coverage were Lee Lee Oriental Supermart in Chandler, a Walgreens on North 19th Avenue in Phoenix, Sun Stop Liquors in Tempe and Carniceria La Constancia in Mesa.
County inspection records show Lee Lee Oriental Supermart was written up after a condenser leaked water onto boxed choy sum, leaving the greens coated in mold. Inspectors ordered the store to toss the spoiled produce, clean and repair the unit, and get it re-inspected before using that cooler again. The same records note the store kept tofu, bean sprouts and other refrigerated foods in a walk-in cooler that was running too warm, and that staff replaced an empty sanitizer container at a three-compartment sink in the produce cutting area. Those details are documented on the Maricopa County inspection portal…