Red Lobster in Cartersville receives a 44% on their recent health inspection

Red Lobster, located at 375 Cherokee Plain in Cartersville, received a score of 44 points out of a possible 100 points during their 01/25/2023 inspection by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The violations noted by the inspector were:

Violation #1
1-2A – pic present, demonstrates knowledge, performs duties
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Person in charge not performing duties; employees not properly trained in food safety, including food allergy awareness, as it relates to their assigned duties. CA: All food employees must be fully trained on food safety as it relates to their assigned duties.

Violation #2
1-2B – certified food protection manager
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Certified Food Safety Manager does not demonstrate proficiency in active managerial control measures for facility to be in compliance with code. CA: Persons-In-Charge, managers, or CFSMs must be properly trained on all areas of food safety and responsibilities.

Violation #3
2-1B – hands clean and properly washed
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed food employee plate raw fish filets for baking by placing the raw fish on the baking tray with her gloved hands and then move to making biscuits and handling tray of cooked biscuits without changing her gloves or washing her hands. CA: Instructed PIC that all employees must deglove, wash hands, and put on new gloves after handling raw animal foods (raw seafood, raw steak, raw chicken, etc) and before handling ready to eat foods or foods cooked to a lower final temperature. PIC immediately had the employee wash her hands and moved the biscuits utensils to be cleaned.

Violation #4
2-2E – response procedures for vomiting & diarrheal events
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Establishment does not have established procedure with a ready made kit for employees to follow when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events that involve the discharge of vomitus or fecal matter onto surfaces in the food establishment. CA: Instructed PIC to assemble the Body Fluid Clean Up kit into a central container, such as a bucket, and including the instructions and sanitizer.

Violation #5
3-1D – required records: shellstock tags, parasite destruction
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Establishment does not maintain records of the dates the last shellstock (raw oysters) from each container were sold. CA: Instructed PIC that the facility must store the shellstock tags for each container of raw oysters with the date the last oyster from each container was sold noted on the tag in the facility for minimum 90 days.

Violation #6
4-1A – food separated and protected
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed raw salmon stored over sliced cheese in the grill line reach in cooler. CA: Instructed PIC that foods stored in coolers must be arranged following minimum internal cook temperatures; ready to eat cheese must be stored above any raw animal foods. PIC immediately moved the sliced cheese.

Violation #7
4-2B – food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed bulk ice machine lid not cleaned at a frequency necessary to maintain food contact surfaces clean to sight and touch. CA: Instructed PIC to clean the lid and high touch areas of the ice machine at least once per day.

Violation #8
6-1A – proper cold holding temperatures
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Inspector Notes: REPEAT: Observed multiple Time and Temperature Control for Safety foods not cold held at or below 41°F in coolers and ice baths throughout the kitchen:
Grill Line Reach-In Cooler: raw flounder filet 42°F/43°F/45°F/43°F;
Grill Line Ice Bath: raw shrimp 60°F, alfredo sauce 45°F, thawed chopped garlic 49°F, garlic sauce 53°F;
Baking Prep Ice Bath: shredded cheddar cheese 46°F;
Baking Prep Counter: premixed biscuit dough (contains cheese) 72°F;
Walk In Cooler: shredded cheddar cheese 45°F, langostine lobster 43°F, pico de gallo 43°F, chopped romaine lettuce 42°F/42°F/43°F/44°F/45°F, shredded monterey cheese 53°F, garlic sauce 43°F;
Salad Prep Cooler: ranch 50°F/50°F, french dressing 49°F, bleu cheese dressing 45°F, caesar dressing 43°F, 1000 island 43°F, shredded cheddar cheese 42°F/42°F; see temps.
CA: Instructed PIC that all TCS foods cold held in the facility must be at or below 41°F at all times. All foods measured as above 41°F had been in the coolers/ice baths for more than 4 hours and facility does not verify internal food temperatures at any point during the day; all out of temperature food was discarded. Recommended to PIC that facility begin using temperature logs for all coolers and maintaining the logs in the office.

Violation #9
11A – proper cooling methods used: adequate equipment for temperature control
Points: 3
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed multiple containers of prepared slaw cooling tightly covered in the front service line cooler. CA: Instructed PIC that foods in cooling, including foods made from ready to eat ingredients, must be cooled from ambient to 41°F within 4 hours, and must be uncovered and placed in a large holding cooler (such as the walk in cooler) to properly cool. PIC immediately uncovered the slaw containers and placed them in the beer walk in cooler.

Violation #10
11C – approved thawing methods used
Points: 3
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed multiple packages of reduced-oxygen packaged fish thawed while still in the reduced-oxygen packaging. CA: Instructed PIC that reduced-oxygen packaged fish must be either kept frozen and thawed immediately before cooking, removed from the reduced-oxygen packaging before thawing, or employees must cut the reduced-oxygen packaging to allow air flow before thawing.

Violation #11
12B – personal cleanliness
Points: 3
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed server preparing a salad not wearing a hair restraint. CA: Instructed PIC that all food employees must wear hair restraints when preparing food; servers do not have to wear hair restraints if they are only making drinks using a soda dispenser or taking plated food to tables. Any employee doing more involved food service such as making a salad must have a hair restraint.

Violation #12
12B – personal cleanliness
Points: 3
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed multiple food employees preparing food while wearing watches. CA: Instructed PIC that food employees must remove anything on wrists (watches/bracelets/hair bands/etc) before washing hands and working with food.

Remarks
Discussed with Person-In-Charge:
Facility has a 3 compartment sink and a dish machine; the 3 compartment sink must be used for warewashing. Vegetable washing cannot occur at the 3 compartment sink; all vegetables must be washed in the sink used for the potatoes.
In-use utensils not kept in food containers held on temperature control must be washed/rinsed/sanitized at least every 4 hours. This includes the grill spatulas, pasta spatulas, and the rice/potato scoops.
Cooked foods to be hot held must be moved from the cooking equipment to hot holding equipment; cooked foods should not be left on counters until a spot in the steam table is available.
The most current inspection report must always be posted.

CLICK HERE to read the full report