Japanese restaurant in Sandy is closed after inspectors find employees handling ‘ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands’

Update • On Jan. 11, the Salt Lake County Health Department allowed this restaurant to reopen for business.

Jan. 9 • Unclean conditions, a lack of hand washing and “employees handling ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands” are among the violations that prompted health inspectors to close a Japanese restaurant in Sandy.

The Salt Lake County Health Department closed Ginza Japanese Shabu Shabu, 9460 S. Union Square, on Wednesday for “a lack of knowledge of correct procedures for cleaning and sanitizing and prevention of food-borne illness,” a notice on the department website shows.

In all, health inspectors found 44 violations — 24 of which are considered critical to human health.

The restaurant will remain closed until the owner can fix the problems and health inspectors determine that it is safe for the public.

Other critical violations found by inspectors:

• Raw salmon and fish are stored above produce, in a reach-in cooler.

• Beef and chicken are sliced on the same meat slicer, without sanitizing.

• Equipment surfaces that contact potentially hazardous foods are not being cleaned at least every four hours.

• The hand sink in the sushi area was used as a dump sink.

• There is no soap at the hand sink.