Through a yearly food license inspection, the Zorn Dining Commons (DC) received a score of 86 out of 100 possible points and KSC (food court), also known as Lloyd’s Marketplace, received a score of 81.
The Nov. 6 inspection saw eight total points deducted for “critical items” at the DC and nine points deducted for “critical items” at Lloyd’s. The “critical items” are worth four or five points, according to the letter. Comparatively, the DC lost 10 total points for “critical items” during the November 2022 inspection.
Lloyd’s, however, lost five points the previous year. Two points were deducted for “mold/mildew” found inside one of the ice machines in the DC.
Similarly, an ice machine in the dry storage room at Lloyd’s was found to have “significant mold inside.”
KSC Dining Director of Operations Bonnie Blanchard said they have a person from the refrigeration company come by to do preventative maintenance twice a year.
“Because of the high volume that we’re looking at, working with our refrigeration cap to say, ‘OK, twice a year isn’t going to be enough,’” Blanchard said. “We probably need to put it on a monthly schedule.” At the time of the interview on Nov. 9, Blanchard said those ice machines were not in service.
Additionally, fruit flies were found to be present at both locations, according to the letters.
However, under the letter from Lloyd’s, it notes, “Facility is composting which will contribute to insect activity.”
Because of school initiatives, both the DC and Lloyd’s compost, Blanchard said.
To reduce the risk of fruit flies, Blanchard said they will be switching to smaller containers with covers on them. Previously, the dining staff would scrape food into bigger containers with no covers that were emptied one to two times a day.
With the smaller containers with covers on them, the dining staff will bring out the small containers as needed and empty them into the big containers, now located outside.
Both locations also had five points docked off for not storing food at the proper temperature, according to the inspection letters.
For the DC, the letter states, “Cooked potatoes 52 degrees F in reach-in cooler in Elm City area. Cooked chicken and potatoes 120 degrees F in hot box in Elm City area.”
Blanchard said they have added extra steps to make sure food is temping properly from the time it is cooked until the time it comes out of the hotbox and onto the line.
As for ways to improve for next year, they are looking to do more training of staff, Blanchard said. As of now, she said they have one person who does monthly inspections throughout the dining locations. “Now we’re thinking, ‘OK, let’s have other people do even just parts of it just to get the fresh eyes on it,’” Blanchard said.
She noted these inspections are always a learning experience for them. Each time an inspection occurs they are able to learn something new they can implement, she said.
Tim Bruns can be contacted at
tbruns@kscequinox.com
