Hand washing, meat storage issues cited in Rock Hill grocery store health inspection
A Rock Hill grocery store and food counter is the latest spot to score a low grade from the state health department, though a manager said fixes were made on the spot as they await a re-test.
“All of them were corrected in that moment,” said Jennifer Garcia, manager at Las Americas Market at 1906 Cherry Road.
A health inspector scored Las Americas on March 22. The 74% on a 100% scale got the food service area a C grade, the lowest given by the state.
An A grade is 88% or higher, and 78% to 87% is a B grade. A C grade means an establishment needs significant improvements in food safety practices, according to health department guidelines.
The inspector saw staff going out the back door and not washing hands upon returning, according to the inspection report. Meat was left out and on the floor at the meat counter, cutting boards were stored on the floor and some foods were found that should’ve been discarded after a week, according to the report.
Some foods weren’t being kept at hot or cold enough temperatures for state guidelines, the report states.
Some of the issues were related to staff transitioning from various departments, Garcia said. Las Americas is a family-owned grocer that serves hot and to-go food. It has a wide-range of products, many from Latin American countries.
A re-inspection is required within 10 days, and on Wednesday morning Garcia expected one either later Wednesday or Thursday.
The manager stresses that fixes were made as they were pointed out, so the public can expect a safe experience even as they await another inspection.
“A lot of the things were minor things,” Garcia said. “It was a lot of small things that built up.”
