One Weld County food business must be inspected again after Oct. 25-31 checks

Score 67

EL MERO MERO, 340 Justin Ave, Platteville, Oct. 26 — An open employee drink was on a food-preparation counter while food was being prepared; coffee and personal belongings were on another prep counter, and a drink was above ready-to-eat tortillas. An employee handled ready-to-eat bread with bare hands, a bag of bread blocked the only handwashing sink, a spatula was used after washing and rinsing without sanitizing, eggs and potatoes were hot-held at 114°F, shredded cheese was at 47°F and cooked beef at 50°F, and the ice scoop handle touched ice; all were corrected during the inspection.

Score 45

ALMANZA'S MEXICAN FOOD, 3520 11 Ave, Evans, Oct. 27 — The person in charge did not have a certified food protection manager, could not provide certification at the time of inspection, or the certified manager was absent. Cooked beef reheating in a hot-water bath measured 128°F and showed no temperature change after 30 minutes before it was moved to the stove and later reached the proper temperature; shredded lettuce measured 47°F (the operator said it had been in the cooler about an hour) and was moved lower in the prep cooler, while four boxes of avocados were stored on the floor and moved to a counter.

Score 40

LA HUASTECA, 340 Justin Ave, Platteville, Oct. 26 — Raw bacon was stored above ready-to-drink milk, and raw meat was beside and slightly above an open package of ready-to-eat queso fresco; the products were rearranged during the inspection. Deli meat and queso fresco held for more than a day lacked date marks, which were added during the inspection; cooked beans, nopales and homemade salsa packaged for sale lacked required labels, and several flies were in the meat department.