‘Black and pink slimy substance’ found during Lenoir City restaurant inspection
LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (WATE) — The restaurant with the lowest grade is located in Loudon County. Quite a few critical violations were marked down by the inspector.
The grade is a 75 at China King Number 1 on Highway 321 North, in Lenoir City. 75 is a passing score as any grade of 69 and below is considered failing.
China King #1, 925 Hwy 321, Lenoir City — Grade: 75, Follow-up: 89
To begin with, food temperatures were way off. Milk in the reach-in cooler was at 63 degrees. The proper refrigerated temperature is 41 and below to ensure wholesomeness. Also, in the cooler cooked chicken tenders and noodles were at 50 degrees. That's not cool enough to slow bacteria growth.
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Fish was thawing in a preparation sink without running water. Defrosting the fish should have been done using cold running water, and it is the least recommended method of defrosting food. Other frozen fish were found thawing in pans filled with stagnant water. The safest way of throwing frozen food is in the refrigerator.
Flies were seen buzzing around in the kitchen. Bacteria-carrying flies are always uninvited guests in restaurants. Finally, a "black and pink slimy substance" was stuck to the kick plate of the ice machine.
The inspector has returned China King in Lenoir City. The original violations were checked, and all had been corrected. The new grade is 89.
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Restaurant inspections are unannounced. They're conducted every six months, but if a legitimate customer complaint is made to the local health department, an inspector will check it out.
