Loveland Sushi Restaurant Requires Re-Inspection After Food Safety Violations
Belly Buster Sushi, Loveland's all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant located at 6055 Sky Pond Dr, received a failing score of 64 during a November 6 health inspection, triggering a mandatory re-inspection due to multiple food safety violations.
Health inspectors identified serious concerns with cross-contamination practices, employee training deficiencies, and improper food handling procedures at the establishment, which opened within the past year as Loveland's first full-service all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant.
The inspection revealed critical violations involving raw fish handling. Inspectors observed the sushi chef using the same gloved hands to handle raw fish, then touching refrigerator doors, plates for other dishes, and rice for non-raw fish rolls without changing gloves or washing hands. The same cutting board and knife were used for both raw and cooked sushi preparations without proper sanitizing between uses.
"Gloves must be changed and hands must be washed before the sushi cook can handle non-raw fish rolls, plates for other dishes, or handles on shared equipment," the inspection report stated. Health officials recommended establishing a separate sushi station for non-raw fish rolls containing cooked ingredients like crab or vegetables to prevent contamination.
Inspectors also documented improper food thawing practices, observing frozen fish including amberjacks and tuna thawing at room temperature on the counter near the sushi station. Some products remained in their vacuum packaging during thawing, which creates conditions that can promote botulism growth. Foods must be thawed in a refrigerator at temperatures below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, under cold running water, or as part of the cooking process.
The establishment failed to maintain required documentation for shellfish products. Inspectors found that molluscan shellfish tags were not kept according to food safety regulations, with labels from multiple boxes commingled in a single container and earlier labels missing entirely. Shellstock tags must be dated when containers are emptied and maintained in chronological order for 90 days.
Additional violations included the absence of a certified food protection manager on-site during full service operations. While the establishment has a partner who holds certification, regulations require at least one employee with supervisory responsibility present during operations to maintain the credential on-site.
The restaurant also lacked proper consumer advisories. No menu statement or signage informed customers that raw fish is served or warned about foodborne illness risks associated with consuming raw or undercooked animal products. The establishment similarly failed to provide required notifications about the presence of major food allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, and sesame in unpackaged foods.
Inspectors found that the person in charge demonstrated limited familiarity with food safety requirements, including shellstock documentation, food contact surface cleaning protocols, and cross-contamination prevention between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
Employee training documentation was unavailable during the inspection. While the person in charge showed general knowledge of illness reporting requirements, no written training records could be verified.
Under Larimer County health inspection scoring guidelines, establishments receiving scores between 50 and 109 points require re-inspection to ensure basic food safety standards are met. Scores of 110 or above result in immediate closure until violations are corrected.
The restaurant, which operates at the address offering lunch and dinner service Wednesday through Sunday with extended weekend hours, remains open while awaiting re-inspection. The establishment serves made-to-order sushi and Japanese cuisine with all-you-can-eat options priced at $28.95 for adults during dinner service and $21.95 during lunch hours.