Iowa Capital Dispatch (edited)
05/27/25
State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations between April 17th and May 13th, including offenses related to rodents, expired food and operating without a license.
Inspectors remind the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment.
Some of the more egregious violations across the state include an inspection of an Asian restaurant in Coralville, where a Johnson County Health Department inspector found violations including items in the sushi food line not being held at correct temperatures, a hole in the ceiling with insulation hanging down, and a heavy buildup of debris on the ceiling vent and ceiling tiles. The restaurant’s posted license was expired, and the most recent inspection report, which found 13 risk-factor violations, had not been posted for public viewing.
A Mexican restaurant in Coralville was cited for undercooking shrimp, and items were either not date-marked to ensure freshness or had been held past the maximum seven days. Multiple bottles of Raid pesticide not formulated for use in food-service establishments were also found.
A May 6th visit to a Davenport café reportedly found employees not washing hands or using gloves when touching raw and ready to eat foods, items in the cooler not date-marked to ensure freshness, shelving throughout the business was marred by dust and debris, mouse-like droppings were found on floors and shelving, and floors, walls and ceilings were found with excessive grease and dust.
And during an April 29th visit to a Bettendorf buffet restaurant, an inspector noted there were ants present in the dining area, mouse droppings were found in all cabinets under the hot- and cold-holding areas, and ventilation hoods, floors, fryer cabinets, gas lines, and the walk-in cooler racks were marred by what the inspector noted as “dust, debris and gunk.”
Click on the link below to see the full article, initially published by Iowa Capital Dispatch. It also contains a link to the full report.