Butler County Board of Health
Name Address Number of Violations
Bruno's Pizza Bar and Grille, 4444 Hamilton Middletown Road, Hamilton 5
Geisha Restaurant, 7691 Voice of America Center Drive, West Chester Twp.7
Kobe Japanese Cuisine, 6679 Dixie Highway, Fairfield 5
Kroger's, 7300 Yankee Road, Liberty Twp., 6
Kumasi Market, Inc., 6560 Dixie Highway, Fairfield 6
La Cazuela's Mexican Grill, 3141 Princeton Road, Hamilton 5
La Pinata, 33 E. Church St., Oxford 5
Luigi's Olde World Market, 9480 Cincinnati Columbus Road, West Chester Twp., 6
Madison Food Market, 2289 Milletown Eaton Road, 5
Sabor Peruano, 7105 Dixie Highway, Fairfield 6
United Dairy Farmers # 163, 3911 Tylersville Road, Hamilton 5
Hamilton Department of Health
M.J. Tavern and Fine Food, 1555 Main St., Hamilton, 5
Middletown Department of Health
Sonic, 3607 Dixie Highway, Middletown 7
How we got this story
The Hamilton JournalNews/Middletown Journal examined more than 1,000 pages of restaurant inspection reports from Butler County, Warren County, City of Middletown and City of Hamilton boards of health, and interviewed health officials and restaurant operators and owners.
Twelve local eateries and food vendors in Butler County were cited with five or more critical health code violations during routine inspections of the premises in the past six months, a study conducted by the Hamilton JournalNews/Middletown Journal has found.
This number is up significantly from five eateries having five or more critical violations between September 2011 and March 2012, the last time the JournalNews/Journal conducted such a study.
Warren County had no restaurants or food service vendors with five or more critical violations during the past six months. Warren County reported five food vendors with five or more critical violations between September 2011 and March 2012.
A critical health violation refers to anything “that could directly impact food safety,” according to Brian Williamson, chief of environmental services for Butler County. Examples include storing food at improper temperatures; an employee failing to wash his or her hands or placing sanitizing agents too closely to food.
The health department keeps track of restaurant conditions as part of the fight against food borne diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that each year roughly 48 million people, or 1 in 6 Americans, get sick from some sort of food borne disease. Of those 48 million, 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 people die due to food that was improperly stored or prepared. The CDC said there are 31 known pathogens that can grow in food that is not stored correctly that will infect unaware eaters.
Nationally, consumers are expected to spend $632 billion eating out in 2012, according to the National Restaurant Association. In Butler County, there are more than 2,000 places that provide food for sale in some capacity.
“It it’s a critical violation, we try to get it corrected while we’re there,” said Carla Early, director of environmental health for the city of Middletown. “If it’s something like a broken refrigerator, where it may take time to fix, we come back in 24 or 48 hours to make sure it has been repaired.”
Even if the violations are corrected while the inspector is still at the restaurant, the incident is recorded. Awareness and a realization of how incidents can put the public health’s at risk are keys to public safety, Williamson said.
“If these violations are left uncorrected, food supplies could become contaminated and that could lead to an outbreak of people getting sick,” Ealy said. “We’re trying to make sure restaurant owners have the knowledge they need to ensure proper food safety.”
It’s rare for a restaurant to be closed due to health code violations. The process usually takes repeated failures and procedures, Williamson said.
“In most cases, a facility will fall into disrepair and chose not to sell food before we have to take that kind of action,” he said.
“We’re not in the business of closing restaurants,” Ealy said. “We will give a facility numerous chances. Our number one priority is education, followed by the safety of the public.”
Ebony Dudley said she worked extensively with Hamilton’s health department prior to the opening of her restaurant, MJ’s Tavern and Fine Foods. Before its opening, the restaurant was cited for a lack of water at its hand washing sink, lack of thermometers in the freezing area and having foods not properly date marked.
“The city of Hamilton health department was one of the finest and most helpful group of people you could imagine to work with,” Dudley said. “They walked with us step-by-step and made sure we were up to every code prior to opening.”
Dudley said MJ’s has since passed every inspection with flying colors.
Each restaurant included in this investigation was contacted via phone for a chance to comment. The health departments inspecting each restaurant verified that the issues listed in this investigation were corrected at the time of the last inspection.
The restaurants with five or more violations and what those violations entailed are listed below.
HAMILTON
Bruno's Pizza Bar and Grille, 4444 Hamilton Middletown Road, Hamilton
June 6: Person in charge not able to provide answers regarding food safety; ground beef improperly stored above onions; need to be kept separate to avoid cross contamination; food stored in freezer without protective covering to protect from contaminants; improper sanitizer used for sanitizing food contact surfaces; prepared food improperly marked with date and time they were prepared (corrections made on date of inspection; management referred to safety training course).
A message was left with an employee at Bruno’s, but the phone call was not returned.
La Cazuela's Mexican Grill, 3141 Princeton Road, Hamilton
June 4: No soap available at hand sink in kitchen; observed employee with gloves on clean the cheese grating station and then perform work at the cook line without changing gloves; food of differing types (eggs, chicken, beef) stored together instead of separately; ice cream scoop handle contacting ready-to-eat ice; can opener blade is soiled with food debris. (Corrections made on date of inspection).
A message was left on a voice mail but was not returned.
M.J.'s Tavern and Fine Food, 1555 Main St., Hamilton
July 24: Observed improper storage of raw and ready-to-eat foods in two-door refrigerator; foods not properly date-marked and labelled to show prep date or expiration date; Hand-washing sink does not have water in food prep area; no paper towel dispenser or paper towels at hand washing sink; No thermometer in fridge to ensure proper cooking and storing temperatures. (Corrections made in follow up inspection)
“Nothing we were cited for directly impacted the quality of food being served,” Dudley said. “These were citations made prior to our opening and everything was fixed before the restaurant opened in July.”
United Dairy Farmers # 163, 3911 Tylersville Road, Hamilton
May, 3: Pre-packaged burritos in open faced refrigerator kept at too high a temperature; doughnuts do not have ingredients label available; sanitizer bucket by door to back storage area had chlorine level above 200 ppm (Should be between 50-100 ppm); no towels at hand sink located in patron area; spray bottle with chemical cleaner hanging from shelving on same level with labels for dispensing food (all corrected at time of inspection).
A phone call was left with UDF’s corporate office, but was not returned.
MIDDLETOWN
Madison Food Market, 2289 Middletown Eaton Road, Middletown
July 17: Person in charge unaware of proper safety techniques; meat in deli case stored at too high a temperature; cutting board and stored knives collocated with hand sink; improperly filled out date list on deli cooler for contents inside; water leaking into pop cooler from cooling unit (Corrections made day of visit).
Representatives could not be reached for comment.
SONIC, 3607 Dixie Highway, Middletown
Aug. 22: Observed employee performing multiple tasks without washing hands and/or changing gloves; can opener and labeler were very dirty; saw employee place bun on dirty table; food not being properly protected from contamination; clean and sanitize interior of ice maker to remove mold; chili being kept at too cool a temperature (all corrected at time of inspection)
“The franchisee diligently and promptly addressed all violations; not only did the drive-in pass re-inspection, but the health department removed a follow up visit from the schedule,” said Christi Woodworth, a spokeswoman for SONIC.
“At SONIC, taking care of our customers is our top priority. SONIC franchisees and operators value the special relationships they share with their customers and are committed to serving only the highest quality products and providing and enjoyable atmosphere to enjoy a meal at SONIC. Local Health Department officials play a critical role as partners in the food service system through their independent inspections of our restaurants, and the drive-in enjoys a positive relationship with the health department,” Woodworth said.
“Every SONIC Drive-In is audited twice each year by a third-party vendor for adherence to SONIC’s food safety standards, which meet or exceed all local, regional and national food safety standards. The Franklin Drive-In has passed SONIC food safety audits with limited critical violations for the past two years,” Woodworth said.
FAIRFIELD
Kobe Japanese Cuisine, 6679 Dixie Highway, Fairfield
July 17: Raw chicken stored on same shelf as vegetables in walk-in refrigerator; same set of tongs used to dispense all raw meats at cook line, creating risk of cross-contamination; ice scream scoop handle touching the ready-to-eat ice cream; cut melon and other fruits kept at too warm a temperature; tube of health ointment located on shelf above flip top refrigerator on cook line (corrections made on date of inspection).
A man who identified himself of the owner of the restaurant on the phone said they had not received anymore complaints since the inspection. “Everything is getting better,” he said.
Kumasi Market, Inc., 6560 Dixie Highway, Fairfield
June 5: Person in charge did not demonstrate knowledge of proper cleaning methods; Fried fish stored at room temperature; No labeling on prepared food items; Several cans dented and showing signs of bulging; Cleaning supplies improperly stored with drinks; Chain saw oil being used on band saw, not food grade oil(Corrections made on follow up visit June 12).
Representatives for Kumasi Market could not be reached for comment.
Sabor Peruano, 7105 Dixie Highway, Fairfield
June 27: Raw fish and beef stored above raw vegetables in walk-in refrigerator; no shopper bags for fresh shell stock; insufficient preparation of raw fish used for certain dishes; eggs not being maintained at properly cool temperature; no notice to consumer of danger of consuming raw shell fish; window spray bottles hanging from racks of glassware near cook station (corrections made on day of visit).
A manager who declined to give her name said the problems were all fixed within days of the visit and that everything in the restaurant was up to code.
LIBERTY TWP.
Kroger's, 7300 Yankee Road, Liberty Twp.
May 17: Food product label within deli island refrigeration display without total ingredients issued for consumer review; ground raw chicken held in meat walk-in above pork, exposing both to cross contamination; mobile raw chicken storage cart held in deli walk-in cooler near door, creating issues of employee cross contamination; cooked chicken being contained at less than required temperature; observed self-dispensing food products within deli at temperatures above 41 degrees; hand washing sink blocked by articles within sea food preparation area (Corrections made on date of inspection)
All necessary corrections were made on the day of the inspection, said Kroger spokesperson Rachael Betzler.
“Food safety is the top priority at all Kroger’s store, and if a problem is brought to our attention we will address it right away,” Betzler said. “Our goal is always 100 percent compliance with safe handling and the safety of our consumers and associates is our top priority.”
OXFORD
La Pinata, 33 E. Church St., Oxford
June 5: No one with applicable knowledge was available; Manager unable to demonstrate adequate level of knowledge regarding food safety; Observed examples of food not being protected from contamination by failure to separate raw from cooked foods; Bulk containers of rice and beans not properly labeled; Drains from equipment improperly protected against black flow at floor drain near walk-in refrigerator (corrections made on date of inspection; Manager referred to health and safety course).
A message was left with an employee, but was not returned.
WEST CHESTER TWP.
Geisha Restaurant, 7691 Voice of America Center Drive, West Chester Twp.
July 5: Person in charge not knowledgeable on correct procedures for cleaning and sanitizing; dishes were not being properly cleaned; no chlorine used in dish machine; no papers towels or soap available at bar hand sink; observed bowls/strainers under prep sinks at drain; no HACCP plan available during time of inspection; no PH meter or records available during time of inspection (corrections made on date of inspection and in follow up inspection).
A message was left with an employee, but a phone call was not returned for comment.
Luigi's Olde World Market, 9480 Cincinnati Columbus Road, West Chester Twp.
May 4, 2012: Improper cold holding temperatures – steaks kept at 50 degrees, cut tomatoes at 63 degrees; no air gap between drain line and floor line at ice machine and prep sink; no soap at hand sink in deli case area; frozen products did not have proper ingredients or handling listed; canned food did not have verification of an approved source; lunch meats and ready-to-eat salads did not have proper sell-by dates; cleaning agents improperly stored above a food preparation area (corrections made on date of inspection)
A man who identified himself as the owner of Luigi’s but would not give his last name said that he had multiple inspections in the past where the majority of items listed, particularly the air gap between the drain line and floor line had never been brought up. He also disputed if some of the other issues were “critical” issues, although they were marked as such in the report obtained by the Hamilton Journal News/Middletown Journal. He said any problems had been corrected on site with the inspector present.
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