4 Latin Eateries in Florida Closed Down By Health Officials due to Infestation, Unsafe Health Practices

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Health inspectors from the state of Florida deemed some Latin eateries unfit for the public to dine to after violations were found regarding sanitation and safety in food practices.

El Crazy Pollo Latin Grill, Antojitos Catrachos, Amigos on Alafaya Trail and Rincon Montanero were all shut down as per the records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The Tamarind Café along E. Colonial Drive was also closed down by the inspectors on Feb. 5. This was after a complaint was reported and upon inspection, five live weevils were found in the Fenugreek leaves seasoning and roaches were found inside the kitchen of the restaurant, according to an Orlando Sentinel report.

Meanwhile, the Amigos Original Tex-Mex Restaurant in the Waterford Lakes Town Center shopping district did not pass the inspection because of the presence of roaches and insect in its kitchen. After it was closed down on Jan. 26, another inspection was made and the eatery failed again.

On the other hand, the Azalea Park Colombian restaurant Rincon Montanero Restaurant & Bakery also violated food safety after droppings of rodents were found in different parts of the kitchen, which include the plantain smasher. The eatery was shut down on Jan. 26.

Orlando's El Crazy Pollo Latin Grill at Dahlia Drive in Orlando was also closed down because of "sewage/wastewater backing up through floor drains" and ice machines found with mold-like substance. It was shut down last Jan. 28.

Mexican eatery Antojitos Catrachos was also shut down last Jan. 27 for "violations including roach activity in the kitchen, flying insects in the food preparation areas and improperly stored food. It reopened the next day."

The restaurants were allowed to open up shop after a day or two of reinspection.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), apart from sanitation in the restaurants, particularly in the kitchen, food workers can also contribute to unsafe food practices with risky food preparation practices, such as not washing hands or changing gloves between touching raw meat or poultry and ready-to-eat food that increases risk for cross contamination of those foods; not using a thermometer to check the temperature of cooked foods that increases the risk that food will not reach temperatures hot enough to kill germs; and working while they have vomiting or diarrhea that may expose customers to illness.

And in order to avoid such unsafe practices, one study recommends restaurant managers to work on improving their food-safety programs and in focusing their efforts on younger, less-experienced workers, and those workers in independent restaurants.