REVscene Automotive Forum - health inspectors close grocery store in TO, same Corp that owns Superstore

i've always wondered do we have regular health inspections in Vancouver, and are they strict/vigorous like they are in TO..
In TO, stores (resturants, grocery stores, corner stores) have to post health inspection results at the entrance. 3 catogaries , pass, fail or conditional pass. Tons of resturants out thr that shouldn't be allowed to sell food.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/578629

Quote:

Loblaws vermin cleanup could be lengthy
January 28, 2009

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Paola Loriggio

STAFF REPORTER

Toronto Public Health officials say they don't know how long it will take the Dupont and Christie Loblaws to comply with the city's health and sanitation requirements after the store was shut down Monday night for severe rodent infestation.

"We're waiting for the company to call and say they're ready" before re-inspecting the store, Jim Chan, manager of food safety for Toronto Public Health, said this morning. He said the cleanup could prove lengthy, and shouldn't be rushed for the sake of reopening sooner.

A second inspection last night showed the supermarket still needed to finish cleaning the premises and patching up rodent holes. Since then, inspectors have stopped by to ensure the store stays closed, Chan said.

The store "will remain closed until further notice," said a statement released last night by Loblaw Companies Ltd., the store's parent company. "Rigorous steps are being taken to thoroughly complete the action items requested by Toronto Public Health."

On Monday, a health inspector discovered an infestation of mice and rats, including droppings in food preparation areas, at the store at 650 Dupont St.

Chan said an inspector visited the store Monday in response to a complaint sent in by a shopper Sunday afternoon. The department has a skeleton staff on weekends -- two inspectors for all of Toronto -- so non-urgent complaints are pushed back to the next business day, he said. Only immediate threats, such as chemical spills and food-borne illnesses, are considered emergencies, he added.

At the store, the inspector found sanitation violations, including evidence of rats in the back garbage area as well as mice droppings on shelves and in the bakery.

Staff were told to start closing down the store around 6 p.m., Chan said. It took several hours to persuade all the customers to leave, and inspectors officially shut down the supermarket around 10 p.m., he said.

"It's a bad one," Chan said of the food safety violations yesterday. "It's a serious infestation."

The inspection findings list alleged violations including "inadequate pest control," "failure to protect food from contamination" and failing to "properly wash surfaces."

The company also faces three bylaw charges that could draw fines of up to $25,000 each, Chan said. The charges are related to the infestation and improper food handling, he said.

A red "closed" sign was hanging at the front entrance yesterday as shoppers were turned away.

Inside, workers could be seen cleaning fixtures and equipment.

Julie Rouleau, who had stopped by to pick up a loaf of bread for lunch, said she initially suspected electricity problems, but quickly saw the lights blazing inside.

"It's discouraging," she said when told of the failed inspection. "You'd think they'd keep up with sanitation standards."

Chan said customers should throw out any food prepared on site or take it back for a refund when the store reopens. He also advised customers to check packaged foods for damage.

It's common for food establishments such as grocery stores to battle infestations, since vermin are naturally drawn to food, Chan said. But companies must take steps to control and eliminate the pests before they become a problem.

"The responsibility is with the company to monitor the day-to-day operations," he said, noting that the infestation would have been easily spotted by employees.

Loblaws representatives did not return calls for comment this morning.

The grocery store was last inspected Sept. 15, according to inspection records posted at the city's DineSafe website. Prior to Monday last night's closing, the store had a clear history of inspections dating back to April 2007.

Over the past two years, the city has shut down nine supermarkets, generally smaller specialty stores.

Toronto began publishing the results of food establishment inspections in 2001 after a Star investigation that revealed a lax regulatory system that rarely handed out fines and never closed establishments with chronic health violations.

While Toronto was the first city in the country to begin posting inspection results, other cities have followed suit in recent years.

With files from Rob Cribb