How did Merced County food businesses, schools fare in latest health inspections?

Reality Check is a Merced Sun-Star series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@mercedsun-star.com.
All 22 food businesses and schools visited by Merced County health inspectors in the past week received passing marks for cleanliness and food-safety compliance.
The latest inspections across the county were conducted between May 27 through May 29.
Nineteen of the food businesses and schools received a 'good' rating and three received a rating of 'satisfactory.'
The county gives 'good' ratings to businesses with six or fewer violation points, 'satisfactory' ratings for seven to 13 violation points, and 'unsatisfactory' ratings for 14 or more violation points.
Two Los Banos food businesses Taco El Tono and Dino Mart both received 'good' ratings after re-inspections were conducted after both locations received 'unsatisfactory' ratings earlier this year.
Businesses that received perfect scores with no violation were:
▪ Dos Palos Elementary School
▪ Dos Palos High School
▪ Valley Community School, Merced
▪ Farmdale Elementary School, Merced
▪ Escuela Popular Instituto de Cesar Chavez, Merced
▪ El Nido Elementary School
▪ Ada Givens School, Merced
▪ Cruickshank Middle School, Merced
▪ Westside High School, South Dos Palos
▪ Tenaya Intermediate, Merced
▪ Plainsburg Elementary School Cafeteria, Merced
▪ El Capitan High Food and Pool, Merced
▪ Dino Mart, Los Banos
The inspections represent a snapshot of conditions found at the time of a visit and may not indicate a pattern of good or bad food safety practices.
In most instances, if an inspector finds a problem, it's something that can be fixed on the spot. This can include having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets.
But some violations are considered more serious and, in some instances, can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors. Those may include insect or vermin infestations; refrigerators that don't keep food cold enough or steam tables that don't keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens.
A lack of hot water is one of the most common violations that health inspectors find when they make their routine visits. Hot water at a temperature of at least 120 degrees is considered important by inspectors for safely washing pots, pans, dishes and glasses, and 100 degrees for employees to wash their hands.
Merced County's Environmental Health Division maintains a database of restaurant and food inspections online for public viewing at its web page, www.countyofmerced.com/597/Environmental-Health; click the 'Food Inspections' tab along the left side of the page.

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