By Jonann Brady
Only one store, the Waldbaum's on Sunrise Highway, was cited for a critical deficiency, which means in some cases the problem could pose a human health risk, but in all cases, the problem needs to be corrected immediately.
On Aug. 21 of last year, an inspector found various frozen products thawed and refrozen, with an accumulation of crystals on the packaging, according to the report. Over 400 pounds of meat, ice cream and frozen fruit was destroyed that day, said Department of Agriculture spokesperson Jessica Chittenden.
"We err on the side of caution," said Chittenden, who added that the store was fined over $1,000.
The store passed a second inspection on Nov. 2, 2001. Inspections occur at least once a year, said Chittenden.
Jeff Friedman, Waldbaum's store manager, said that the supermarket took steps to fix the problem immediately.
"One problem was the frozen food manager was legally blind," said Friedman. That manager left the store in January, but Friedman said because of his condition, he would often overfill the freezers.
A second problem was a faulty compressor, which has been replaced, said Friedman.
Thirty-five general deficiencies were noted at the store during the second inspection. General deficiencies don't pose human health risks, but should be fixed before the next inspection, such as dirty surfaces or broken appliances.
Three other Baldwin stores were cited for general deficiencies,
including the Waldbaum's on Atlantic Avenue, the Associated on Grand Avenue and the Grand Avenue Pathmark.
Thirty-two general deficiencies were noted at the Atlantic Avenue Waldbaum's on Aug. 6, 2001, including 10 live fruit flies observed in the produce prep area and broken thermometers in the produce walk-in cooler and frozen foods freezer.
At the Associated on Oct. 21, 2001, 20 general deficiencies were noted, including a moldy ceiling in the meat cooler and flies in the deli area. The store was also cited for operating without the proper license to process food.
A limited inspection was conducted at the Pathmark on Oct. 2, 2001, based on a customer complaint that packaged "frozen raw turkey breasts...were noted thawed and mushy," said the report. The inspection did not reveal any thawed or mushy products, but the report said that "many of the...frozen turkey and duck products...are displayed with accumulations of frost." The meat was unaffected, according to the report.
The sanitary inspection reports are available at the CBS News website at www.cbs.com.
