Which places had the most violations in February?

Summit County Public Health inspected hundreds of food-serving facilities in February, including restaurants, nursing homes, grocery stores and gas stations, according to health data obtained by an Akron Beacon Journal database.

Food establishments are inspected one to four times per year, depending on the likelihood of a foodborne illness. Inspectors determine whether or not these establishments are compliant with the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code, which ensures food is safe for public consumption.

Establishments with multiple uncorrected violations can have their licenses revoked or suspended, or in a severe case, the establishment could be forced to permanently close.

Which Summit County establishments had the most critical violations in February?

• Jaipur Junction, 180 Streetsboro Road West, Hudson: Inspectors found 10 critical violations including employees not washing hands when required, unclean food-contact surfaces (corrected during inspection) and a presence of live pests/insects.

• Azteca Restaurante, 1779 East Market Street, Akron: Inspectors found nine critical violations including a lack of a posted handwashing sign in the men’s restroom, food employees not wearing a hair restraint and the plumbing system not being adequately maintained.

• Main Xin, 4439 Kent Road, Stow: Inspectors found eight critical violations including a handwashing sink not being fully accessible at all times (corrected during inspection), improper handwashing practices and food not being cold held at the proper temperature.

• Don Jose, 1562 Akron-Peninsula Road, Akron: Inspectors found eight critical violations including an inaccessible handwashing sink, food not being cold held at proper temperature and food not be properly dated.

• Alejandro’s Amigos Taqueria, 4147 Bridgewater Parkway, Stow: Inspectors found eight critical violations including improper handwashing practices, improper use of toxic materials and handwashing sink used for purposes other than handwashing (corrected during inspection).

• Cantina en la Ocho, 10230 Northfield Road, Northfield: Inspectors found seven critical violations including the improper disposal of expired food (corrected during inspection), ready-to-eat foods not being properly date marked and unclean food-contact surfaces.

• The Farmer’s Rail, 98 N Main Street, Hudson: Inspectors found seven critical violations including an inaccessible handwashing sink, food not being cold held at the proper temperatures and food not being protected from contamination by separation.

• Coventry Diner, 3333 Manchester Road Suite 17, Akron: Inspectors found seven critical violations including unclean food-contact surfaces (corrected during inspection), improper use of a poisonous substance (corrected during inspection) and warewashing machine not equipped with proper materials.

• Tulum Mexican Restaurant, 8910 Hadden Road, Twinsburg: Inspectors found seven critical violations including consumer not being properly advised of the risk of consuming raw or undercooked animal foods, inaccurate air and water thermometers and the improper labeling of poisonous material containers.

• El Torito Tacos, 10683 Ravenna Road Unit #3, Twinsburg: Inspectors found seven critical violations including unclean food-contact surfaces (corrected during inspection), improper labeling of poisonous material containers (corrected during inspection) and ready-to-eat foods being improperly dated (corrected during inspection).

What are the types of violations?

There are two types of violations health inspectors look for: critical and non-critical violations.

Critical violations are those violations that, if left uncorrected, are “more likely to contribute to food contamination or illness,” according to the Summit County Health Department. Examples of critical violations include the improper cooking, reheating or refrigeration of food items.

Non-critical violations are not directly related to foodborne illnesses, but they could still impact the restaurant and lead to critical violations if not corrected. Examples include a lack of facility cleanliness and maintenance.

What types of inspections are there?

The following are the four types of inspections, according to Summit County Public Health:

• Standard: This inspection is unannounced to the restaurant. An inspector will conduct a complete inspection covering all items in the regulations for compliance.

• Critical Control Point (CCP): These inspections can be scheduled or unannounced. The inspector spends time discussing the facility’s food processes and educates the facility on proper procedures.

• Follow-up Inspection: This is an inspection for the specific purpose of re-inspecting items that were not in compliance at the time of the standard inspection. These inspections are scheduled.

• Complaint: This is an unannounced inspection conducted as a result of a complaint received by the health department. The specifics of the complaint will be evaluated and discussed with the person in charge.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com or on Twitter @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: These Summit County restaurants had health code violations in February