Charlotte restaurant posts ‘B’ for pests, plumbing & ‘pink residue’
An east Charlotte restaurant received a “B” grade from the Mecklenburg County Health Department for numerous health violations, including the presence of insects and dirty kitchen utensils.
Ding Tea (7211 E. Independence Blvd. in Charlotte) received an 87.5% score during an inspection on Tuesday, March 31.
Inspectors cited the restaurant after finding two “small pests” on the floor and on a wall, according to the report.
The restaurant was also dinged after inspectors discovered “pink residue” on plastic cups used to make boba, the report says.
Other violations the restaurant was cited for include:
- Employee washing hands without soap
- Two employees handling food without head coverings
- Milk, whipping cream and liquid yogurt in the lowboy cooler with no date marks
- Several containers of powders for the teas stored on a counter uncovered with no lids
- Cabinets with debris on the inside
- Drip underneath the 3-compartment sink
This is the restaurant’s second “B” grade. The first one was in October.
Mecklenburg County sanitation scores
The Mecklenburg County sanitation grades database shows that at least 119 restaurant inspections were completed March 27-April 2.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Three restaurants received B grades, or scores of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
▪ Harris Food Mart (8400 Old Statesville Rd.) received a score of 82.5% during an inspection on Friday, March 27.
- The restaurant was in violation of 13 standards, including dented frying baskets and chicken flour stored in a container used to house car washing soap.
- Most violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored 78% in October.
▪ Soul Central UNCC (8531 N. Tryon St.) received a score of 82.5% during an inspection on Friday, March 27.
- The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards, including a spray bottle with no label and no date marks on potato salad.
- Most violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored 91% in January.
How to search NC restaurant inspection scores
Sanitation scores and their corresponding letter grades are used in North Carolina to assess restaurants’ adherence to rules and standards intended to mitigate and prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses.
You’ve likely seen sanitation grade cards at restaurants you’ve visited, and The News & Observer previously explained what those scores mean and how they’re calculated. According to state law, permits are immediately revoked if a restaurant receives a score of less than 70%.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Mecklenburg County at public.cdpehs.com.
Most common restaurant violations
The Charlotte Observer previously spoke to Adam Dietrich, a local food safety expert, about five of the most common food safety violations restaurants get dinged for during health inspections:
- Handwashing lapses are common: Inspectors frequently cite workers for skipping required handwashing or recontaminating hands, a major risk for spreading illnesses like norovirus, Salmonella and E. coli.
- “Performative” glove use causes problems: Gloves are often misused, either by not changing them between tasks or worn instead of washing hands, which can spread bacteria just as easily as bare hands.
- 41°F is the cold-holding cutoff: The North Carolina Food Code requires cold foods to be held at 41 degrees or below, since bacteria multiply rapidly above that threshold and can reach dangerous levels within hours.
- Improper storage leads to cross-contamination: Limited space and poor organization can result in raw food juices dripping onto other foods, a known cause of outbreaks, prompting strict storage rules in the food code.
- Lack of food safety training costs points: Restaurants are often penalized for missing certifications or inadequate staff training in hygiene, allergens and safe food handling, issues experts say are preventable with proper education.
