Apna Punjab Sweets and Samosa Factory restaurant in Calgary was shut down by Alberta Health Services (AHS) after mouse droppings were found in the food and a dead mouse found in a food container.
The restaurant was so infested with mice that mouse droppings were found on food and in food preparation containers and storage areas, according to a notice on the AHS website, dated May 19.
The investigation also found that food packaging, boxes and containers were stored on the floor among mouse droppings. An old office that was converted into a food storage area and was reportedly dirty and cluttered.
AHS noted a slew of other health violations at the establishment, including:
- Accumulations of grease and old food debris around counters, shelves and large food equipment
- Displayed food was not protected from customer contamination — “foreign matter” was also found in the display
- Hand-washing sinks in the food prep area weren’t easily accessible
- Food handlers weren’t washing their hands between handling cash and preparing food
- Open, unprotected foods were stored beside the hand-washing sink and power hand-dryer
- Perishable food and desserts were stored improperly or left unattended at room temperature
- No probe thermometer to measure food temperatures
- Food equipment was contaminated with grime and old food debris
- Exhaust canopy was greasy
- Food equipment and preparation tools and dishes weren’t properly sanitized
- Paint was seen chipping off painted portions of the stainless steel samosa-making machine and other preparation items
- Wooden pallets for transporting food were covered in debris and hard to clean
- Chemical spray bottles and bottles filled with edible syrup weren’t labelled to indicate contents
- Light fixture above the samosa-making machine was not covered
- Lighting in the walk-in cooler was dim
- Food handlers lacked basic food safety and sanitation knowledge
- There was no complete and thorough cleaning schedule provided
The owners of the establishment, who are listed as Swarnjeet Kaur Kalkat, Kehar Singhwere, Gurmukh Singh and 1915723 Alberta Ltd., were forced to close the restaurant, and are ordered to take a number of steps to bring the establishment up to health code.
They include cleaning and sanitizing areas where mouse droppings were found, eliminating all possible points of entry for vermin like mice, cleaning storage areas and updating the way they store food, among many other orders.
They also have to have one supervisor per shift complete an approved food safety certificate and all other staff are required to complete a food safety course. The restaurant must also have and maintain a written cleaning schedule.
The restaurant will stay closed until the owners complete all the orders to the satisfaction of an AHS executive officer.
The public can access all active and inactive orders from the past 30 days, as well as all historical restaurant inspection information on the AHS website.
“If a restaurant is approved, and there are no active orders associated with the restaurant, they are safe and people should interpret it that way,” said Dr. Jason Cabaj, medical officer of health with AHS in Calgary.
Cabaj said AHS uses a risk-assessment process to determine how much potential health risk individual restaurants may have. They factor in things like the types of food the restaurant serves, types of food handling and history of the establishment.
AHS investigations range from up to four a year, to fewer if establishments have a good health record. If a restaurant is the subject of complaints, AHS may do more inspections.
AHS doesn’t use a recall protocol where they would notify any restaurant or organization that may be supplied food from a shut-down supplier, unless there are additional concerns like the possibility of food-borne illness.
Global News requests for comment from the restaurant owners were denied.
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