Traer Short Stop located at 217 S. Main Street in Traer. PHOTO VIA GOOGLE EARTH

State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including rodent infestations, “slimy” lettuce, long-expired food and the sale of potentially dangerous supplements.

In one instance, an inspector called the fire department after discovering the business was using propane to cook indoors without adequate ventilation. In another case, an inspector telephoned a fast-food franchise owner who allegedly refused to let a physically ill food-preparation worker go home.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, 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: https://iowa.safefoodinspection.com/.

Traer Short Stop, 217 S. Main St., Traer

During an Oct. 29 visit, a state inspector cited this retailer for 12 risk-factor violations, an exceptionally high number for what the inspector described as a “small” convenience-type store.

In her report, the inspector stated the staff failed to demonstrate any “knowledge of safe food and public health practices” as evidenced by the number and scope of violations found and the absence of a certified food protection manager. “Foods like cheese, deli meats, and packaged sandwiches in the two-door, glass-front retail cooler have temperatures of 49.3 degrees and above,” the inspector reported, noting that the temperature was too warm to ensure safety.

In addition, the store appeared to have no date-marking system in place to ensure that pizza toppings, prepared pizzas, breakfast sausage, egg patties and other items were fresh and safe. Also, the ice machine had “a buildup of mildew-like material” inside and “open chemical bottles” were being stored on the top of the ice machine.

The inspector also reported that packaged ice-cream products in the retail freezer had thawed and were “leaking” and had to be discarded. In addition, the glass-front retail refrigerator had an ambient air temperature of 52 degrees rather than 41 degrees or colder. As a result, the cheese, deli meats, and packaged sandwiches stored in the refrigerator had to be discarded. The inspector also made note of “open boxes of food” that were stored uncovered and exposed inside a walk-in freezer.

“Multiple pieces of flooring and ceiling tiles are missing throughout the establishment,” the inspector reported.

The store was last inspected by the state in November 2021.

Days Inn, 1708 N. Highland St., Williamsburg

During an Oct. 2 visit, a state inspector checked the temperature of food items in a cold-holding unit and in the breakfast-area cooler for guests’ use to ensure the items were 41 degrees or colder. The milk measured 48 to 53 degrees, the yogurt was 51 degrees, and the sausage breakfast sandwiches were 50 to 52 degrees. All of the items were discarded.

Subway, 1741 Central Ave., Estherville

During an Oct. 17 visit, a Siouxland District Health Department inspector observed that a worker in the restaurant had come to work sick that day and had then experienced several on-site “incidents” involving vomiting and diarrhea. The inspector reported the worker called her supervisor at one point and asked to leave, but the supervisor refused to excuse her from work.

The worker told the inspector the staff typically cannot miss work due to illness unless they find a colleague to cover their shift. The inspector called the franchise owner and asked about the restaurant’s employee-health policies. The owner reportedly indicated he was unsure whether the establishment’s written policies were posted on site.

The inspector reported that he advised the Subway staff and the owner to implement their vomit-and-diarrhea cleanup procedures since the worker in question had more than “10 incidents while at work” and had been preparing food for customers. During the inspection, the inspector also observed that “various trash cans throughout the establishment were full and overflowing,” and that “floors throughout the establishment are visibly soiled.” The restaurant was last inspected in October 2021.

La Herradura Mexican Grill, 540 N. Cody Road, Le Claire

During an Oct. 29 visit, a Scott County inspector cited the establishment for 12 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. The inspector also noted that the person in charge was not monitoring the temperatures of certain foods that must be stored with time and temperature controls for safety and was not ensuring proper sanitizing of food-contact surfaces.

In addition, open packages of raw chorizo were stored above a container of precooked chicken strips inside a reach-in cooler, risking cross-contamination, and serving utensils were being stored inside of pans of raw meat in a refrigeration unit, with the handles described as “down inside of the raw meat product.” Also, a pan of queso was in a hot-holding unit but measured only 122 degrees — not hot enough to ensure safe consumption — and had to be reheated to 165 degrees.

The inspector also found several foods – such as sliced tomatoes, raw chicken, raw shrimp, raw chorizo and raw beef – that were in a cold-holding unit that measured 46 to 51 degrees, which was too warm to ensure safe consumption. All of the products were discarded.

In addition, multiple prepared foods – such as guacamole, ceviche, tamales, potatoes and salsa – lacked proper date markings to ensure freshness and safety, and several buckets being used to store containers of salsa and guacamole had a buildup of grease and food debris on them.

The inspector also made note of knives, a vegetable dicer, a can opener and a soda fountain that each were soiled with a buildup of debris. “All food-contact surfaces require additional cleaning and sanitizing,” the inspector wrote.

In addition, the sanitizing dishwashing machine was not working properly, access to a handwashing sink was blocked by a large bucket, there was no thermometer anywhere on site for measuring the internal temperature of food, and a leaking handwashing sink was allowing water to pool on the kitchen floor.