(Des Moines, Iowa) – State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including roach infestations, mouse droppings, spoiled fruit, moldy chicken batter and kitchens littered with trash. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals’ website.

Among the restaurants that were cited, was BC’s Pizza Company, 311 E. 7th St., Logan – During a Nov. 21st visit, a state inspector cited this restaurant for failing to have a certified food protection manager on staff and noted the sliced and shredded cheese had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. Also, the restaurant appeared to be using commercially made sauces that had discard dates going back to October and August of 2024. The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint pertaining to contaminated equipment, improper holding temperatures, food from unsafe sources, poor personal hygiene among the staff and general facility sanitation. “Complaint is verified,” the inspector reported.

The Chuong Garden Restaurant, 903 W. Townline Road, Creston, was cited following a visit on November 8th, during which a state inspector cited the establishment for 13 risk-factor violations, an exceptionally high number. The inspector reported that inside a walk-in cooler, he “observed a large bowl of raw chicken in a batter with what appears to be a build-up of mold-like substance in the interior of bowl.” Also, the inspector found raw eggs that appeared to have been acquired from an unapproved source. The inspector also observed food-service employees handling cooked chicken with their bare hands as they placed it in to-go boxes. In addition, the cooked chicken was measured at 72 degrees, close to room temperature, and cooked pork eggrolls were measured at 94 degrees. The chicken and egg rolls were discarded.

The inspector also observed that the kitchen-prepared crab Rangoon filling was measured at 60 degrees – neither hot nor cold enough to ensure safety. On the kitchen’s food-prep table, the inspector found several raw, unpasteurized eggs that were warm to the touch and which had to be discarded. In addition, there were multiple unspecified food items inside the walk-in cooler, the freezer and the cold-make table that had no preparation dates to ensure freshness and safety. The kitchen’s dishwashing machine had no detectable amount of sanitizing solution; shrimp was left to thaw on a countertop at room temperature; a separate large bowl of raw shrimp was stored on the floor; and the kitchen scoops used with cooked rice were being stored in a container of stagnant water.

The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint that pertained to adulterated food, food procured from unsafe sources and general facility sanitation. “Complaint is closed and verified,” the inspector reported.

Other establishments that were cited following an inspection, include:

• Lampliter Inn, 143 S. Grove St., Walcott
• Love’s Travel Stop, 2280 Key Ave. SW, Le Mars
• Kwik Stop, 515 Broadway, Waterloo
• Pizza Shack, 6616 Northwest Boulevard, Davenport
• Strawberry Foods, Deli and Bakery, 128 W. Mission St., Strawberry Point
• Treehouse Pub & Eatery, 2239 Kimberly Road, Bettendorf
• El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill, 3751 EP True Parkway, West Des Moines
• Hong Kong Buffet, 2406 Park Ave., Muscatine
• Stout’s Irish Pub, 4471 53^rd Ave., Bettendorf
• Siam Thai Café, 903 State St., Bettendorf
• California Restaurant, 1500 Villa Ave., Sioux City
• Dynasty Buffet, 5388 Elmore Ave., Davenport
• WalMart, 2200 17^th St., Spirit Lake
• Boyden-Hull Junior and Senior High School, 801 1^st St., Hull
• Spencer Golf & Country Club, 2200 W. 18^th St., Spencer
• Crossroads Bistro, 232 16^th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids
• The Central Market, Central College, 812 University Ave., Pella
• McDonald’s, 129 S. Duff Ave., Ames
• Boozie’s Bar & Grill, 114 1/2 W. 3^rd St., Davenport