Fatty ‘Cue, an apparently popular Asian barbecue restaurant in Brooklyn, has been shut down by the city health department after it rang up 115 violation points in an inspection on Monday. (You need less than 14 points to get an A, less than 28 to get a B.)

According to The New York Times, some of the violations were due to improper sous vide and home canning procedures. But the restaurant was also cited for having evidence of rats and mice. The report also cited “hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.”

Also, food was “not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service” during the inspection.

Note: Fatty 'Cue reopened after passing inspection Thursday afternoon.

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice today filed a complaint for permanent injunction against a Jamaica, N.Y.-based beverage company to prevent it from processing and distributing juice and other products.

Hank J. Hagen and Milton S. Reid and their company, Mystical One LLC (also known as Mystical One Juice LLC), are charged with violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by failing to have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for certain juice products, such as the company’s carrot juice products, and by failing to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP).

The FDA requires all juice processors to prepare and implement HACCP plans that identify and control food hazards associated with their juices, and it requires all food manufacturers to follow cGMP. The FDA is not aware of illnesses associated with Mystical One’s juice products.

Among the violations observed by FDA investigators were failures to:


• adequately heat low-acid vegetable juices to destroy or prevent growth of dangerous microorganisms;

• properly clean food-contact surfaces; and
,
• maintain and monitor sanitation conditions at the manufacturing facility to prevent sources of possible food and water contamination.

Failure to identify and control food hazards could lead to the formation of Clostridium botulinum bacteria that can germinate in the carrot juice made by the company. The neurotoxin formed by these bacteria, when ingested in even very small amounts, could cause paralysis, difficulty breathing and death from asphyxiation. In 2006, six cases of botulism in the United States and Canada were linked to refrigerated carrot juice.

The complaint also charges Mystical One, Hagen and Reid with failing to conform to cGMP requirements for making, packing, or holding human food.

Beverage products produced under conditions that do not comply with HACCP or GMP requirements are considered adulterated under the Act.

Violations cited by the FDA involved the following brands:
• Fresh Carrot Juice,
• Magnum Food Drink,
• Pineapple Ginger Drink,
• Sorrel & Ginger,
• Sea Moss, and,
• Peanut Punch.

The New York Post reports this morning the Health Department has identified the first 15 restaurants branded with a lowly C since the city's A-B-C grading system was launched more than three months ago -- but more than half of those eateries were caught hiding their lousy grades from customers.

A Post survey found only seven of the C restaurants posted the grade as required by law, with managers at the other eateries claiming they didn't understand the rules or, seemingly, trying to game the system.

At the Bread & Pastry Cafe in Greenwich Village, which earned a C on Sept. 9 after racking up 41 violation points, a "grade pending" sign hung in the window Wednesday. Restaurants are slapped with a C when inspectors issue 28 violation points or more.

"It's my choice," insisted clerk Mohammed Zaman, explaining that the cafe was due for another hearing at which it would get a higher grade.

When The Post inquired with the department, it sent over an inspector on Friday to demand the C be posted.
 

Forget the name: Obama Fried Chicken sucks at food safety.

In 2009, two New York City fast-food joints started calling themselves Obama Fried Chicken, raising concerns about old racial stereotypes. Last week, according to Grub Street, the Harlem Obama Fried Chicken was closed by the Health Department after scoring 115 violation points, almost 100 points past the C grade.

This is how bad a restaurant can do on an inspection:

1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
4) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
5) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
6) Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
7) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
8) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.
9) Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
10) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
11) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
12) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
13) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
14) Covered garbage receptacle not provided or inadequate, except that garbage receptacle may be uncovered during active use. Garbage storage area not properly constructed or maintained; grinder or compactor dirty.
15) Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
16) Canned food product observed dented and not segregated from other consumable food items.
17) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
18) Food service operation occurring in room used as living or sleeping quarters.
19) Proper sanitization not provided for utensil ware washing operation.