Update • The Salt Lake County Health Department allowed this restaurant to reopen on June 1, 2018.
May 31, 2018 • The Salt Lake County Health Department shut down a Mexican restaurant in Draper on Thursday, because employees were storing numerous food items at temperatures that promote bacteria growth.
La Hacienda, 12434 S. Minuteman Drive, was “closed for presenting an imminent health hazard,” according to a closure notice posted on the department website.
The restaurant was cited for 15 health code violations, including several that were deemed “critical” to human health.
”Bacterial growth and possible toxin production by some bacteria, can be greatly reduced when foods are held at temperatures of less than 41 degrees,” the website notes.
But cut vegetables, raw and cooked beef, cheese and a deep-fried pepper stored in La Hacienda’s walk-in cooler and on preparation surfaces were recorded at 48 degrees or higher, the notice shows.
The restaurant will remained closed until the owner can fix the problems and health inspectors consider it safe for the public.
Other critical violations include:
• Cooked rice improperly held in a large pot without a heating source.
• Employees’ personal beverages found on top of ice machine.
• Dirty ventilation hood filters.
• Stacks of chips in bowls on the counter under a heat lamp. The bottom of one bowl is touching the top of the ready-to-eat chips.
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