Jaco Juice & Taco on Gay Street had food thrown out on the spot after Chester County health inspectors found refrigeration units running 6 to 10 degrees above safe limits during a Wednesday, Aug. 19, inspection.
The downtown West Chester restaurant at 8 W. Gay St. was cited for eight code violations, according to the Chester County Health Department's inspection report published by MyChesCo. Inspectors recorded temperatures of 47 to 51 degrees Fahrenheit in two preparation units and 48 to 49 degrees in a separate refrigerator. Cold foods requiring temperature control must be held at 41 degrees or below.
Foods that had exceeded 41 degrees were discarded during the inspection. Cut cucumbers and beets were transferred to a working refrigerator.
The health department ordered Jaco Juice & Taco not to use the affected equipment for temperature-controlled foods until it was serviced and capable of holding 41 degrees or below. No reinspection date has been announced.
Beyond the refrigeration problems, inspectors found frozen fruit thawing on a counter, apples stored on the floor and an unlabeled bottle of Lysol. All three were fixed on site. The fruit went into a refrigerator, the apples were raised off the floor and the chemical container was labeled.
Inspectors also documented loose refrigerator-door gaskets, inoperable faucets at two handwashing sinks, cardboard used beneath cooking equipment and food debris on a wall and inside a preparation unit.
The health department noted in its Aug. 20 report that each inspection represents a snapshot of conditions at a particular time and may not reflect a restaurant's long-term food-safety practices.
Three other West Chester establishments inspected the same day passed without violations: Johny G's Rolled Ice Cream Commissary at North Brook Marketplace, Scrape & Scoop: Johny G's Rolled Ice Cream and Turks Head Cafe LLC.
Jaco Juice & Taco serves fresh juices, smoothies and tacos at 8 W. Gay St. and is listed in the Downtown West Chester business directory. Residents who want to report food-safety concerns can file a confidential complaint at chesco.org/5843 or call 610-344-6225.
