5 MS Coast eateries get critical health violations, including 2 Waffle Houses
Five restaurants and food service locations in South Mississippi were cited for critical violations in the last month, most of them for not having a certified manager as required.
Waffle House at 11967 Bobby Eleuterius Blvd., D’Iberville was inspected Dec. 29 by the Mississippi Department of Health and was cited for no certified manager and food contact surface not properly cleaned and sanitized. The last C at the restaurant was in 2019.
A follow-up inspection on Jan. 8 shows the issues were corrected.
Waffle House at 998 Cedar Lake Road, Biloxi was inspected Dec. 22 for a permit renewal. It was cited for not having food surface cleaned and sanitized, a repeat offense. A violation for not maintaining proper hot holding temperatures was corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant was given a B grade on follow-up Dec. 24, when the inspector found all issues were corrected.
Restaurant owners can request a re-inspection if they believe that the issues were corrected and may result in an improved inspection grade. The re-inspection fee is $165.
Restaurants and other food service establishments in Mississippi are rated A if they pass the health department inspection, B if violations are corrected during the inspection, and C if the violations are critical.
More manager violations
Others cited for not having a trained manager were:
▪ Rock N Roll Sushi, 3920 Promenade Parkway, D’Iberville, was cited Dec. 7 and given its first C. A corrective follow-up inspection on Dec. 9 showed there was a manager on staff.
▪ Walmart Market Bakery and the Deli at 2050 Pass Road, Biloxi, were cited Dec. 15 during a permit inspection. A follow-up inspection on Dec. 28 showed there was a manager. This was the first C for both dating back to 2014.
▪ IHOP, 11475 Cinema Drive, D’Iberville was cited for no certified manager during a scheduled inspection Jan. 4. Corrected during the inspection was improper cold holding temperatures.
Why a manager?
The violation of no certified manager has become much more common in South Mississippi since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, although the safety course and the test now can be taken entirely online. The training course and exam are provided by various companies and start at about $100 for both.
Each restaurant or commercial food service establishment must have at least one certified food safety manager on the staff full time. The courses cover the things the inspectors will be checking for during their visits, which occur between one and four times a year.
Among the topics are food safety, cross contamination, proper preparation, temperature controls, cleaning and sanitation methods and rodent control.
Mississippi State University Extension Service has certified instructors across Mississippi who offer ServSafe courses throughout the year. Courses are available for those seeking their first certification, good for up to 5 years depending on local regulations, and those seeking re-certification.
Written exam booklets are offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French Canadian and large print, according to the website. Online exams are offered in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Vietnamese was not among those listed.
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
