Gwinnett Chinese restaurant fails health inspection, live roach found

A Snellville Chinese restaurant failed its routine health inspection Tuesday after a county inspector reported finding a live roach in the kitchen and noted evidence of mold-like debris in the ice machine, among other violations.

China Chef at 2420 Wisteria Drive received a 55/U on the inspection, according to a Georgia Department of Public Health report. It had scored a 100/A on its previous inspection in April.

In addition to finding a live roach and mold-like debris in the ice machine, the county inspector observed an employee using bare hands to cook egg rolls, found raw beef stored over ready-to-eat food and spotted unwashed zucchini stored over washed lettuce, the report said.

The inspector also noted incorrectly marked dates on multiple food containers, as well as incorrectly-labeled containers of sugar, salt and chlorine sanitizer. Containers with poisonous or toxic materials like chemical sanitizers have to be labeled, the inspector reported.

According to the report, the facility also did not have signed employee health policy agreements on site and the certified food safety manager was unable to list the 6 foodborne illnesses or associated symptoms.

A follow-up inspection will occur within 10 days of Tuesday's evaluation, according to the report.

Jasmine Chang, manager of the Snellville restaurant, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she and the employees have been working to fix all of the problems noted by the inspector before the follow-up inspection.

Chang said pest control comes to the restaurant at least once a month and though the signed employee health policy agreements were not on site, they were signed and stored at her home.

"We will do everything to improve," Chang said. "Step by step, we will have routine cleaning jobs and change the incorrect labels, too."