Restaurant Inspections: McDonald's and Hunan Taste

The state health department recently inspected a few restaurants in the Springfield and Kingstowne areas. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Hunan Taste Restaurant
8088 Rolling Rd.
Date of inspection: Sept. 5
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed eating, smoking, or drinking in an area other than designated break area while preparing/handling food or contacting clean food contact surfaces.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination as follows: Observed raw containers of chicken stored over raw beef.

Kanjana Thai Cuisine
8064 Rolling Rd.
Date of inspection: Sept. 5
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge failed to state the minimum cook temperatures and times for potentially hazardous food(s).
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: Observed raw chicken sitting on top of a box of greens in the walk in refrigerator. Also observed the waxed lids from raw chicken boxes sitting on top of cut vegetables in the walk in refrigerator.
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed no chlorine in the wiping cloth bucket for wet cloths.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that poisonous and toxic materials are not properly stored to prevent the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens or single service items. Observed face wash, cleaning chemicals in spray bottles on top of shelves at prep line and sitting on top of the dish machine.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Pesticides labeled for residential use were observed in the facility and are being applied by the operator to control pests. Raid on shelves inside the facility.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all hand washing sinks used by food employees. Hand washing sign missing from front hand sink.

McDonald's
7580 Telegraph Rd.
Date of inspection: Sept. 5
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the wet wiping buckets with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine.