Cafeteria scores a C on inspection report

The cafeteria in Loftin Student Center received a score of 76 on a 100-point scale during its most recent inspection Tuesday by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

Fresh Taste Foods, owned by Selrico Inc., has provided cafeteria services for the Alamo Community College District since 2008.

"Health inspectors usually only visit once a year," Frederick Danzoy, district manager of food services, said Wednesday.

However, on Monday, The Ranger researched the last time the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District filed a food-establishment inspection report and found that the last one had occurred June 12, 2008.

The next day an inspector was sent here, and his report issued 24 demerits.

Three demerits were given for insect contamination, with ants spotted around the soda machines.

Danzoy said the college district's facilities department is responsible for spraying for ants.

"We keep working with facility maintenance, but there's not a lot that we can do about the ants coming up through the drain," Danzoy said.

The notes left by the inspector indicated a problem with gnats, too.

Danzoy said there were no demerits for mishandling food or not having food at the right temperature.

"Four demerits were given for mixing ham and egg on the grill by one of the employees who was on duty at the time," he said.

Danzoy said the employee should not have mixed the ingredients on the grill because of cross-contamination.

The health inspector gave three demerits for not having calibrated thermometers in the cooler that chills sodas. A broken sink in a staff restroom behind the kitchen received demerits.

Another sink was docked points because employees were washing their hands in a sink designated for dish cleaning.

The inspector requested that dented food cans be removed from shelves.

One licensed, certified manager should be present at all times, according to Metro Health guidelines, but at the time of the inspection the one certified food manager was not scheduled to work.

In inspections of cafeterias at other district colleges last week, St. Philip's received three demerits, and Northwest Vista had 12. Northeast Lakeview had a perfect score.

The June 12, 2008, inspection at this college yielded 15 demerits, with points deducted for evidence of rodents or other animals, dented food cans and no thermometers in coolers.

The inspector suggested the cafeteria use a licensed professional for rodent infestation.

She also requested a follow-up inspection and asked that managers enroll in a course for food-service managers within 30 days.

That follow-up didn't come until 22 months later.

"I do not know what was the reason for not checking up on the previous inspection," Christine Patmon, Metro Health public relations manager, said Thursday.

The cafeteria in Loftin is required to post the inspection report.

"I would like to go over it first before I put it up," Danzoy said Thursday.

Patmon said a score of 76 "is not an unusual score," but she did not know the numerical score that would require a food server to cease operating.

The sanitarian services manager for Metro Health, Stephen Barscewsk, could not be reached for comment by press time.