Posted: 11/22/2002 9:20:50 AM EDT
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Special Assignment: "Restaurant Report Card" aired November 21, 2002 at 11 p.m. At Acapulco in Glendale last fall, Tiiffany Maxwell ate a burrito and contracted shigella, a bacteria that makes you violently ill. "I thought I was going to die," Tiffany said. A county investigation confirmed that eight people got shigella from eating at Acapulco in Glendale. Grover: "What does shigella come from?" Jeff Nelken, food safety expert: "Excrement." Grover: "How is that spread?" Jeff Nelken: "People don't wash their hands correctly." The source of the illness turned out to be a "food handler" who wasn't washing his hands. Grover to manager: "We want to talk to someone about your inspection file. Can someone talk about all the food poisoning reports?" But the manager didn't want to talk. During our investigation, we looked at nearly 4,000 food poisoning complaints received by L.A. County between the summers of 2000 and 2002. We found that the places with the most complaints are often the most popular. Like Gladstone's in Malibu, where there have been four reported incidents of food poisoning, far more than most restaurants. The place consistently gets A ratings, but it also repeatedly gets cited for keeping food at unsafe temperatures. Grover to manager: "Is that acceptable to you, that you've been cited for unsafe temperatures?" Gladstone's manager: "No, no. We're not happy with that at all." They let us look around the kitchen, and we brought along food safety expert Jeff Nelken. Everything seemed in order, but when our expert tested some temperatures of raw seafood, he found them in the danger zone. Nelken: "You're running a little bit high. It should be at 41 degrees or below." We found similar violations at Kabuki in Woodland Hills. When our cameras showed up here last spring, we found a pool of grease above the stove, and it was dripping onto the food. The floors were filthy. We also found evidence of rats. After our visit, Kabuki installed a shiny new kitchen. But they've still had problems. They have had three new reported outbreaks of food poisoning. Down the street at Benihana in Encino, there have been four reported outbreaks, involving 17 people. Records show a history of violations in the kitchen, like mold growing in the ice machine. When we showed up, we found mold growing in the blender. Nelken: "The mold could definitely cause diarrhea to a customer." We also found big problems at some small places, like Chano's drive-in, popular with students at nearby USC, where 21 people who ate beef there last spring all got salmonella poisoning. When we visited, our expert found the beef at Chano's sitting out at unsafe temperatures. Nelken: "It's running about 49 degrees." Grover: "What could happen if you eat that?" Nelken: "Diarrhea, vomiting." We also saw bloody raw beef next to foods it could contaminate. Nelken: "The blood can actually contaminate the tomatoes, and people can end up with an e.Coli infection." We spotted other violations, like wiping the stove and the utensils with a filthy rag. Joel to manager: "Do you know why these people got sick here?" Manager: "No." They seem to know at Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake, which has had four complaints of food poisoning in the past two years. The manager blamed the employees. Grover: "You're saying these incidents of food poisoning were because of bad employee habits?" Bob's Big Boy manager: "Well it could be. It could be that the employees sometimes don't wash their hands, know what I mean." But inspectors have found other problems too, like live cockroaches, and an employee kicking a pan of meat across the floor. Grover to manager: "That does not sound very clean, does it?" Manager: "No it doesn't, not at all." But Bob's is trying hard to clean up. After the last food poisoning report this spring, the manager sent his cooks back to school. Now, all 15 of them are certified in food safety. Manager: "You want to be in the business, you got to take care of the public. That's the way it is." If you think you got sick at a restaurant, report it to the health department. Although it's hard to confirm the exact cause of food poisoning, your complaint will trigger an inspection, which may force the restaurant to clean up. Speaking of cleaning up, we heard from the CEO of Acapulco. Here is their statement: "We place the health and safety of our guests ahead of anything else we do. Our kitchens and facilities comply with all health regulations. If and when there are any issues identified, we immediately rectify the situation as quickly as possible." Benihana Corp. e-mailed us this statement, saying it has cleaned up the violations mentioned in our report: "Benihana's primary concern is the safety and well-being of its guests. Benihaha cooperates fully with all local, state and federal agencies with regard to health and safety regulations. The Health Department findings in Mr. Grover's reporter were addressed immediately, and Benihana continues to comply with all regulations in the interest of its guests." |
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Quoted: Special Assignment: "Restaurant Report Card" aired November 21, 2002 at 11 p.m. At Acapulco in Glendale last fall, Tiiffany Maxwell ate a burrito and contracted shigella, a bacteria that makes you violently ill. "I thought I was going to die," Tiffany said. A county investigation confirmed that eight people got shigella from eating at Acapulco in Glendale. Grover: "What does shigella come from?" Jeff Nelken, food safety expert: "Excrement." Grover: "How is that spread?" Jeff Nelken: "People don't wash their hands correctly." The source of the illness turned out to be a "food handler" who wasn't washing his hands. [:X*] Thats just horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly horribly sick.. I live near Glendale, and I know where I'm not eating now. |