The Allegheny County Health Department has slapped the Las Palmas IGA Market on Broadway in Beechview with a significant health warning, according to reports. Inspectors cite multiple violations that are enough to give any customer pause, considering the cleanliness and food safety standards we've come to expect. Citing unsafe food conditions and an expired food permit, among others, the consumer alert puts potential shoppers on notice, as detailed by WPXI News.
During a recent inspection cited by WPXI News, the market was reported to have food improperly cooling and stored at dangerous temperatures that are invitations for bacteria. Flies were found milling around the spaces where people's groceries should be safe, alongside rodent droppings in the rear storage room—operating with an expired food permit to add insult to injury.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, the issues didn't stop there, with the health department noting a lack of proper equipment and plumbing problems. The market is pending reinspection, which means the ball is in the court of the market's management to clean up their act—literally. The health department will only lift the alert once the issues are resolved and a follow-up inspection confirms compliance with health regulations.
Specific high-risk violations that came to light included canned goods with large dents and debris-caked can openers—all discarded or mandated to be cleaned during the inspection. Not only does the thought of food at unsafe temperatures raise eyebrows, but with cooked chicken found resting casually at 47 degrees and hot foods hovering in the tepid zone between 121 and 125 degrees, these weren't just slip-ups, they represent a systemic oversight.
