Food safety violations at Chinatown restaurants in Las Vegas have prompted a string of recent closures, according to a report from KTNV News. Many of them were for holding food at improper temperatures and storing or preparing food in dirty areas.
Keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold is a basic food safety principle. Cold foods need to be kept at or below 40˚ F and hot foods should be kept at 140˚F or above. Anything in between in considered the “danger zone,” because bacteria such as Salmonella, E.coli and Campylobacter can double in number in as little as 20 minutes.
On an April 22 inspection, Sam Woo BBQ had 51 demerits. Inspectors found the handwashing sink clogged with an opaque fluid; dirty floors, appliances and shelves; lots of food stored in the danger zone and spices stored in a reused plastic bag from a clothing store.
At Lele’s Sandwiches on South Bruce, inspectors found blood from raw chicken dripping on to refrigerated cut jalepenos and uncooked french fries. The blood also pooled below a prep table. A filthy floor drain was covered in cob webs and there were flies throughout the facility.
Marketon on North Decatur was closed when inspectors found no running water. And the Coast to Coast food truck was closed or refrigeration problems.
