Food refrigerated at unsafe temperatures in these Manatee eateries

Three Manatee County restaurants were cited with administrative complaints during inspections last week, some of them repeat offenders.

Checker’s, located at 5140 Cortez Road W., had five high-priority violations during an inspection on Friday, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A stop sale had been issued because Philly cheese steak, cheesecake filling, sliced tomatoes and lettuce were exposed to unsafe temperatures for more than four hours. Pesticide for household use only was in close proximity to the walk-in cooler. A second inspection that same day had passed satisfactorily.

The Freckled Fin, located at 101 Bridge St. in Holmes Beach, and Oh Greek, at the Ellenton Premium Outlets at 5461 Factory Shops Blvd., did not have refrigerated items stored at safe temperatures. Corrective action was taken at The Freckled Fin, but it was a repeat violation. Greens, tomatoes and potato salad at Oh Greek were measured at slightly cooler temperatures than a previous inspection, but seven degrees Fahrenheit warmer than what’s deemed safe.

Here’s which restaurants received warnings for high-priority violations:

• A Moveable Feast, 5406 Marina Drive: An employee started working without washing their hands (corrected on-site); an employee touched ready-to-eat food with bare hands (corrected on-site); some food was refrigerated at unsafe temperatures; raw breaded chicken was stored above raw shrimp; a waiter handled dirty dishes before serving food.
• Scott’s Deli, 5312 Holmes Blvd.: Stop sale was issued for temperature abuse of butter and cream cheese; shelled eggs were being refrigerated at an unsafe temperature.
• Michelangelo, 11517 Palmbrush Trail: Pizza sauce stored in five-gallon Lowe’s hardware buckets; leafy greens, feta cheese and sliced tomatoes were stored at unsafe temperatures (corrective action was taken).
• Shanghai, 7226 Manatee Ave. W.: Cooked lo mein noodles refrigerated at unsafe temperature (corrective action taken); raw chicken and raw beef stored over ready-to-eat sauces (corrected on-site); sanitizing solution used surpasses maximum concentration allowed (corrected on-site); a second inspection that same day met standards.
• Burger King, 8502 State Road 70 E.: Vacuum breaker missing at hose bib/mop sink faucet.
• Mojos Real Cuban, 11161 State Road 70 E.: Raw shelled eggs were stored above cooked beans in the walk-in cooler.

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Food refrigerated at unsafe temperatures in these Manatee eateries."