Health code violations at the Derby Middle School kitchen have been corrected, a food services employee told the Board of Education March 19.
The middle school kitchen failed a routine inspection conducted Feb. 5 by an employee from the Naugatuck Valley Health District.
A score of 80 is passing.
The middle school scored an 86. But, according to state law, any “4‑point” violations trigger an automatic failure.
The Derby Middle School inspection cited six violations, including a 4‑point violation.
According to the inspection:
- Salads and cold sandwiches were not stored at the proper temperature (50 degrees instead of a 45-degree minimum), which is a 4‑point violation.
- Dead insects were found on the premises.
- A sink for washing hands did not have soap.
- There was no “qualified food operator” in the kitchen.
- There was no one in the kitchen designated as an alternate for the “qualified food operator.”
- There was no written documentation of a training program on site.
The article continues after the photographs of the inspection report:
In addition to the inspection, the Naugatuck Valley Health District sent a letter Feb. 11 to Dominick Golia, the person in charge of the food services department within Derby Public Schools.
The letter warned the district could have its food service license suspended unless the district hired a qualified food operator.
The letter included a reference to state law, which states anyone who ignores an order to comply with the health code is potentially guilty of a low-level misdemeanor.
The post continues after the letter:
Reaction
The Valley Indy published the February food service inspections from the Naugatuck Valley Health District on March 15.
The Derby Middle School score prompted concern among residents, some of whom posted complaints on the Valley Indy Facebook page.
Some parents contacted the school district, according to a statement made by Derby Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Conway at a March 19 Derby school board meeting.
Conway invited Tara Kolakowski, second in charge of the district’s food services program, to address concerns.
Press play on the video to watch about two minutes of Kolakowski’s explanation to the school board.
She noted the middle school scored a 97 after an inspection in October.
An exterminator was called to the school to deal with the insect violation.
“Bug Busters came in and took care of it,” she said. “Now that is not an issue anymore.”
She said the missing soap violation happened because dish detergent was being used as hand soap near a sink.
“We fixed that,” Kolakowski said.
Kolakowski attributed the lack of a qualified operator to a personnel change.
“That was our mistake. We corrected it. He (the inspector) same back for a spot check about 10 days later, and we do have two people certified to be a food manager and a service person,” she said.
Kolakowski said the February inspection was “passing,” which is not accurate because of the 4‑point demerit.
The Valley Indy pointed this out after she addressed the school board. Kolakowski noted the inspection from the health district does not contain the word “fail.”
The Valley Indy checked with the state health department. A spokesman copy and pasted the following text from the health code into an email, but offered no additional comment:
“(1) Every food service establishment shall maintain a rating score of eighty (80) or higher and shall not have one (1) or more four (4) demerit point items in violation.”
The Valley Indy double checked with the local health district.
“Technically, if you miss a 4 pointer you have ‘failed,’” according to David Rogers, an assistant director of environmental health at the Naugatuck Valley Health District.
