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Facility: Los Banos PAL Snack Bar
Address: 401 7th St., Los Banos, CA

The most recent inspection of this food facility resulted in a rating of
Good (Total Points: 3.00)
0-6  Points: Good
7-13 Points: Satisfactory
14+  Points: Unsatisfactory
Rating on date 3-12-2024: Good (Total Points: 3.00)
DateViolationPointsCorrectionInspector CommentsFacility Area
3-12-2024 All food shall be separated and protected from contamination. (113984, 113986, 113988, 113990, 114060, 114067, 114069, 114077, 114079, 114089.1 (c), 114143 (c)) 1.00 Destroy all contaminated food. All food shall be prepared, stored, displayed, dispensed, placed, transported, sold, and served as to be protected from dirt, vermin, unnecessary handling, droplet contamination, overhead leakage, or other contamination.
If unpackaged food is displayed and sold in bulk in other than self-service containers, then it shall be served by an employee of the food establishment directly to a consumer and shall be displayed in clean, sanitary, and covered or otherwise protected containers.
For bulk customer self-service food items, such as salad bars, buffet type foods, and other ready-to-eat food, install sneeze guards that intercept a direct line between the customer's mouth and the food being offered, dispense from approved mechanical dispensers, or employ other effective means to protect ready-to-eat food from contamination.
Protect all cartons, boxes, or other materials used in the packaging of any food from dirt, vermin, and other forms of contamination or adulteration.
OUTDOOR BBQ: Inspector Observed that the Open Air BBQ area did not have a clear barrier to separate it from public access. Provide a barrier to prevent public from accessing the area or being injured.

California retail food code 114143 (C) The OPEN-AIR BARBECUE or OUTDOOR WOOD-BURNING OVEN Shall be "separated from public access to prevent FOOD contamination or injury to the public by using ropes or other APPROVED methods."

Corrections received 3/18/24
0148 OPEN-AIR BBQ
3-12-2024 Food shall be stored in an approved manner, in approved containers and labeled as to contents. Food shall be stored at least 6" above the floor on approved shelving. (114047, 114049, 114051, 114053, 114055, 114067(h), 114069) 1.00 Provide adequate and suitable space for the storage of food. Store food at least 6 inches off the floor. Store bulk food not stored in original packaging in containers identifying the food by common name. Food shall not be stored in locker rooms, restrooms, dressing rooms, refuse areas, or mechanical rooms; under open stairwells; under lines on which water has condensed; under leaking water lines, including leaking automatic fire sprinkler heads: or under sewer lines that are not shielded to intercept potential drips.

Only prepackaged nonpotentially hazardous food or uncut produce may be displayed or sold outdoors by a food facility if outdoor displays have overhead protection that extends over all food items, and if all food items from the outdoor display are stored inside the fully enclosed food facility at all times other than during business hours.

Products that are held by the permit holder for credit, redemption, or return to the distributor, such as damaged, spoiled, or recalled products, shall be segregated and held in designated areas that are separated from food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-use articles. All returned or damaged food products and food products from which the label has been removed shall be separated and stored in a separate area and in a manner that shall prevent adulteration of other foods and shall not contribute to a vermin problem.



Observed a bag of unopened tortilla chips that was stacked on top of a duffel bag. All food not stored in original shipping containers or working containers shall be stored at least 6in off the ground and on a smooth easily cleanable durable and non toxic surface. This was corrected during the inspection. 0101 FOOD ESTAB. W/FOOD PREP 0-49 SEATS (HM4)
3-12-2024 All clean and soiled linens shall be properly stored; non-food items shall be stored and displayed separate from food and food-contact surfaces. (114185 - 114185.4) Utensils and equipment shall be handled and stored so as to be protected from contamination. (114067, 114074 - 114075, 114081, 114083, 114119, 114121, 114161, 114178, 114179, 114185, 114185.2, 114185.5) 1.00 Storage space for food, utensils, single-use articles, clean linens, and food-related equipment shall not be located in locker rooms, refuse rooms, mechanical rooms, under open stairwells, under lines on which water has condensed, under leaking water lines, under sewer lines that are not shielded to intercept potential drips, or under other sources of contamination.

During pauses in food preparation or dispensing, food preparation and dispensing utensils shall be stored in one of the following ways:
(1) in a potentially hazardous food with their handles above the top of the food and the container.
(2) if not a potentially hazardous food, with their handles above the top of the food within containers that can be closed.
(3) on a clean portion of the food preparation table or equipment if cleaned and sanitized at the required frequency.
(4) in running water of sufficient velocity to flush particulates to the drain.
(5) in a clean, protected location if the utensils, such as ice scoops, are used only with a food that is not potentially hazardous.
(6) in a container of water if the water is maintained at a temperature of at least 135°F and the container is cleaned at least every 24 hours or at a frequency necessary to preclude the accumulation of soil residues.

Observed that some of the equipment in the facility, such as a second nacho cheese dispenser were not being used. In order to prevent the creation of unnecessary vermin harborage areas remove all equipment that is not being used as part of day to day operations. Seasonal equipment may be kept so long as it is kept clean and functional. Item Corrected 3/18/24 0101 FOOD ESTAB. W/FOOD PREP 0-49 SEATS (HM4)


Rating on date 1-31-2023: Good (Total Points: 0.00)
DateViolationPointsCorrectionInspector CommentsFacility Area
1-31-2023 No violations were noted during this inspection. 0.00 This food facility currently meets California Retail Food Code requirements, and is authorized by the Merced County Division of Environmental Health to be open for business. The permit is issued to the current business owner of record and is non-transferable. no violations observed 0101 FOOD ESTAB. W/FOOD PREP 0-49 SEATS (HM4)
1-31-2023 No violations were noted during this inspection. 0.00 This food facility currently meets California Retail Food Code requirements, and is authorized by the Merced County Division of Environmental Health to be open for business. The permit is issued to the current business owner of record and is non-transferable. no violations observed 0110 RETAIL MARKET<2000 SQ FT (HM3)
1-31-2023 No violations were noted during this inspection. 0.00 This food facility currently meets California Retail Food Code requirements, and is authorized by the Merced County Division of Environmental Health to be open for business. The permit is issued to the current business owner of record and is non-transferable. no violations observed 0148 OPEN-AIR BBQ


Rating on date 10-09-2019: Good (Total Points: 2.00)
DateViolationPointsCorrectionInspector CommentsFacility Area
10-09-2019 No violations were noted during this inspection. 0.00 This food facility currently meets California Retail Food Code requirements, and is authorized by the Merced County Division of Environmental Health to be open for business. The permit is issued to the current business owner of record and is non-transferable. OPEN-AIR BBQ (PE0148): No violations were noted in this area. 0148 OPEN-AIR BBQ
10-09-2019 All food contact surfaces of utensils and equipment shall be clean and sanitized. (113984(e), 114097, 114099.1, 114099.4, 114099.6, 114101 (b-d), 114105, 114109, 114111, 114113, 114115 (a, b, d), 114117, 114125(b), 114135, 114141) 2.00 A food facility that prepares food shall not be operating if there is no method to properly clean and sanitize equipment or utensils. A food facility shall not be operating if there is gross contamination of food contact surfaces that may result in the contamination of food products. SANITIZER: No sanitizer was available during inspection. Facility was not in operation during the inspection. Facility is not opened everyday. Provide sanitizer prior to the next operating date. 0101 FOOD ESTAB. W/FOOD PREP 0-49 SEATS (HM4)
10-09-2019 No violations were noted during this inspection. 0.00 This food facility currently meets California Retail Food Code requirements, and is authorized by the Merced County Division of Environmental Health to be open for business. The permit is issued to the current business owner of record and is non-transferable. RETAIL FOOD PROGRAM AREA (PE 0110): No violations were noted in this area. 0110 RETAIL MARKET<2000 SQ FT (HM3)