Uncle Giuseppe's Breaks Pattern of Failed Health Inspections in Smithtown

Uncle Giuseppe's is making good on its pledge to clean up the Smithtown store, passing its most recent state health inspection after failing nine times since 2005.

According to New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, inspectors found only 16 general deficiencies when they popped in on the store on May 9, but no critical health issues.

Uncle Giuseppe's failed its last two inspections, including one in on Sept. 27, 2012, when state workers destroyed nearly five pounds of canolis and other cream-filled pastries because their temperatures were too high.

Since Smithtown Patch first covered the market chain's issues with health inspections across its network of markets on Long Island, the company has said it hired internal quality control manager to police the store for health issues. The market, however, failed an inspection on April 11, after making that pledge, when inspectors found food in malfunctioning refrigerated display cases.

The state has fined the chain $4,800 since 2009.

RELATED: Another Health Inspection Failed at Uncle Giuseppe's
RELATED: Uncle Giuseppe's Routinely Fails Health Inspections

The May 9 inspection turned up far fewer general deficiencies, issues not considered health hazards by the state, than in the past. While the 16 flags, including citations for dust, equipment cleanliness and "improperly hung" fly paper, may still turn shoppers' stomaches, it's an improvement. Uncle Giuseppe's April 11 inspection turned up 32 general deficiencies, and in Sept. 2012, inspectors found 50 of these issues. For a full list of the most recent general issues, see below.

Uncle Giuseppe's did not answer our request to comment on the latest inspection.

Supermarkets, grocery stores and bodegas are inspected by the state, usually once or twice a year, though the more a market fails the more often inspectors visit. The state generally visits a market within 6 months of a failed inspection, but since Uncle Giuseppe's failed two in a row, the state had said they'd return within 60 days. Turns out they only waited 29 days to come back.

With the latest inspection, Uncle Giuseppe's Smithtown store has now passed 10 inspections and has failed 9 since 2005. On several occasions inspectors were called to the store after shoppers complained that food, from raw chicken to prepared quiche, made them sick, including one July 2011 incident where a woman filed a complaint with the Suffolk County Department of Health alleging prepared lasagna and eggplant she bought gave her a bout of campylobacteriosis, a painful food-borne bacterial infection that can cause vomiting and bloody diarrhea in the worst cases.

The market has also failed multiple inspections at its nearby Port Jefferson store.

General Deficiencies

• Handwash facility in chocolate processing area is observed to be temporarily cluttered with soiled utensils.
• The floor in the dairy walk in box is not sloped to drain. - Water noted dripping from hose mount in produce prep area.
• Light sources in prepared foods display case lack end caps for shields. - Light lenses in mozzarella room walk in box is damaged. - Light source in seafood walk in box is insufficiently shielded.
• Scrub pad in mozzarella room has frayed surfaces.
• Exterior rear exit doors exhibit spaces greater than 1/4 inch at bottoms and/or sides.
• Establishment has insufficient space to accommodate operations with food and/or non-food items stored on inverted milk crates in pizza prep area and in mozzarella room walk in box hindering proper inspection and cleaning. - Establishment has insufficient space to accommodate operations with food and/or non-food items stored directly against wall in mozzarella room walk in box, deli walk in box, bakery area and in rear stock areas hampering proper inspection and cleaning.
• Dust/debris and/or spillage noted on floors in the following areas: along wall perimeter in kitchen area, compactor room, mozzarella room walk in box, rear receiving and storage area, frozen food walk in box, dairy box, rear stock area and under retail shelves. - Floor in prepared food kitchen has damaged surfaces. - Kitchen area ceiling is soiled. - Compactor room walls are soiled. - Men's toilet room floor is heavily soiled. - Vent covers in men's and women's toilet rooms are dust laden. - Seafood department walls are soiled. - Cold air curtains in produce walk in box are soiled. - Meat prep room ceiling has missing or damaged tiles. - Fan covers in produce walk in box are dust laden. - Rear packaging and cheese grater area ceiling has rusted surfaces. - Produce room wall has mildew accumulations. - Light fixtures in frozen food walk in box have loose/flaking paint.
• Food workers in the chicken roaster packaging area are not taking precautions to prevent contamination of foods as follows: Bottles of medicines are stored on shelf over work table.
• Mozzarella cheese in retail area has an internal temperature of 50°F for less than two hours. Product moved to walk in cooler. - Sell serve cheese in retail cheese case are displayed unwrapped without a sufficient cover. - Salmon in seafood display case has an internal temperature of 48°F. - Baked goods requiring refrigeration in bakery display case have internal temperature of 45-48°F. - Pork chops in hot food service area have an internal temperature of 124°F.
• Rolling rack containing cooked foods in walk in cooler is not covered during non-use. - Closed containers of food products in meat room have accumulations of water on lids. - Several food ingredient containers in the bakery department are not properly identified.
• Panini grill in sandwich prep area has a moderate build-up of dried food residues on food contact surfaces. - Stationary can opener in kitchen area has a moderate build-up of dried food residues on food contact surfaces. - Deep fry baskets in kitchen area have a moderate build-up of dried food residues on food contact surfaces. - Kitchen area food processor has a moderate build-up of food residues on food contact surfaces. - Muffin tins in bakery department have a moderate build-ups of dried food residues on food contact surfaces. - Juice machine in produce prep area has a moderate build-up of foreign matter and food
• Non-food contact surfaces of deli/prepared foods display case are soiled in numerous locations. - Non-food contact surfaces of product identification placards in prepared foods case are soiled. - Non-food contact surfaces of deli slicers in counter service area have accumulations of dried food scraps. - Non-food contact surfaces of oven in kitchen area have accumulations of dust and debris. - Non-food contact surfaces of frying pans in kitchen area have accumulations of dark scrapable matter. - Non-food contact surfaces of rolling racks in the bakery department have accumulations of dark scrapable matter. - Non-food contact surfaces of food processor in seafood department are soiled. - Non-food contact surfaces of rolling table in produce room have accumulations of dried food residues. Non-food contact surfaces of mixing machine in meat room have accumulations of old food
• Formica work table in deli service area is not properly maintained as follows: Counter top damaged along edges. - Metal whisk for mixing machine in bakery department is not properly maintained as follows: Whisk has damaged surfaces. - Metal strainers in kitchen area and in seafood department are not properly maintained as follows: Equipment has damaged surfaces. - Blade guide on meat room band saw is not properly maintained as follows: plastic surfaces are frayed. -- Food processor in salad prep room is not properly maintained as follows: Processor has cracked/damaged surfaces. - Frying pans in seafood department are not properly maintained as follows: Teflon surfaces are damaged. - Plastic plunger for juice machine in produce prep area is not properly maintained as follows: Plastic surfaces are damaged. - Cutting board in pizza prep area, kitchen and in seafood area are not properly maintained as follows: Surfaces are scored and stained.
• Unused equipment and/or materials in meat room and in rear storage area are stored in a manner which inhibits proper cleaning and inspection.
• Storage racks in meat walk in box and in dairy box are soiled.
• "Hot Shot" fly strips are improperly hung in meat room.