RSSHealth inspectors remember the 1 percent that fail
Yakima Herald-Republic
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Jared Keefer and Ryan Ibach have seen it all. Cockroaches dripping down walls. Buckets overflowing with goat blood. Mold covering food like fuzzy blankets.
They're Yakima Health District inspectors, and their job is to ensure patrons have a safe dining experience in Yakima County eateries.
"Once we've been somewhere, it's safe," said Keefer, 28. "If it's not safe, it won't open."
Keefer has worked for the health district for five years, while Ibach has worked there for nine. On a typical day, they visit several of the county's 1,000 food establishments, examining everything from employee hygiene to how food is prepared and stored.
Almost all restaurants easily pass their inspections. But the most memorable ones, at least for Keefer and Ibach, are the 1 percent that fail.
Six years ago, the health district received complaints about goats being brought into the former Colima Mexican Restaurant on Yakima Avenue, Ibach said. When inspectors showed up, they found goat blood, intestines and carcasses.
The restaurant remained open because no one witnessed the slaughters -- but a health
inspector remained on site the entire day to
interview the restaurant owners and oversee the cleaning of the kitchen and the disposal of the goat remains.
The district closed the restaurant seven months later for repeated food safety violations, Ibach said.
"They told us the blood in the saucepan was salsa and that the intestines were a gift for the owner. That was interesting," said 35-year-old Ibach, whose colleagues handled that case. "Goat can be on the menus, but you can't slaughter it yourself."
Another time, Ibach received several calls about cockroaches at the former Oriental Garden Restaurant on Yakima Avenue. Upon inspecting the kitchen, he saw cockroaches on the stove, in the cabinets and even in the paper towel dispenser. When he confronted the owners about it, they voluntarily agreed to close their doors until the bugs were exterminated.
Within moments of entering a restaurant, Ibach and Keefer can tell if something is wrong. People will act nervous or unhappy to see them, they said, or they'll run away to warn others a health inspector has arrived.
Keefer said he's entered a Chinese restaurant during the lunch hour, only to be greeted by people shouting in Mandarin as they were dumping food from the buffet table into garbage cans. They told him that's when they normally switch out the food, but Keefer knew otherwise.
"By then they've already failed," Keefer said. "They knew their food was cold."
Other times Keefer said people do things that defy common sense, like wearing plastic gloves when going to the bathroom -- and returning to work wearing the same gloves.
"He said it was a new glove rule where he had to wear gloves at all times," said Keefer about what a cook had told him. "So we talked about that."
People typically call them to complain about bare hands touching food, dirty floors and filthy bathrooms, the inspectors said. Some calls have merit, others don't. But Keefer and Ibach will often investigate.
Luckily, there was nothing to uncover when Keefer conducted his routine inspection several weeks ago at Santiago's Gourmet Mexican Restaurant in Yakima. Breezing through the tight kitchen with a clipboard in hand, he examined refrigerators, stoves, sinks and other equipment looking for anything wrong.
Employees kept to themselves for the most part, and owner Jar Arcand tagged along, unfazed by the unexpected visit. After about 20 minutes, Keefer only found a few minor infractions -- such as sanitizer buckets not having been prepared when he arrived.
Arcand said he appreciates the health inspections because it reminds him of how he can improve. He'd rather get a few demerits now than have customers complaining later.
"It's like a performance audit," he said. "The worst thing you can do is grossly neglect the safety principles. If someone gets ill, you go out of business."
Admittedly, their job affects them when they're off duty, Keefer and Ibach said. They're very aware of their surroundings when they eat out, and if they spot anything wrong, they'll return the next day to conduct an
impromptu inspection.
"My wife hates going out because I'm not focused on her," Keefer joked. "In this area, I need to know what's going on."
Despite being lied to on occasion, Keefer and Ibach said they enjoy their jobs. They meet a lot of interesting people, have flexible hours and aren't stuck in the office all day.
They're goal is to make their inspections educational rather than confrontational. Sometimes they encounter gross or unsettling situations. But that still wouldn't prevent them from heading out to dinner themselves.
"I probably won't go out that night," Keefer said. "But you get your faith back."
* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.
