Pine Twp. Perkins shut down for food safety violations
People who want to eat pancakes a the Pine Township Perkins restaurant in Mercer County will have to wait until food safety violations are corrected.
People who want to eat pancakes a the Pine Township Perkins restaurant in Mercer County will have to wait until food safety violations are corrected.
The Perkins on West Main Street was shut down Tuesday after an unannounced inspection by the State Department of Agriculture found several violations that posed an immediate risk for foodborne illness.
According to the inspection report, black mold was found around all three dispensing nozzles of the restaurant's juice dispenser.
Department of Agriculture Press Secretary Shannon Powers told 21 News that the inspector reported that some of the hazards were due to a renovation project going on in the restaurant's kitchen.
The report states that food was exposed to insulation hanging from the ceiling, dusty work lumps were hanging from areas where ceiling tiles had been removed. Sheet rock and untreated wood was directly above and next to cooking equipment, according to the report.
Food debris, and dirty stagnant water had accumulated through the food preparation and storage areas.
Dirty water had accumulated around a floor drain that an employee said was clogged.
The inspector estimates that approximately 400 floor tiles were missing and damaged, preventing proper drainage in the food prep and storage areas.
Finally, an employee's Certified Food Manager certificate was expired.
Powers said that once the violations are corrected, the business owner can contact the Department of Agriculture for another inspection before the restaurant is allowed to reopen.