Fairfield store fails health inspection
Owner says issues are fixed, awaiting re-inspection
FAIRFIELD — One business in town — Battimelli's A&S Italian Fine Foods — failed a health inspection last month for a number of violations that left them below standards.
Businesses in Fairfield fail Health Department inspections when they receive a score below 80 out of 100 or when they receive a single four-point deduction. A second inspection is generally scheduled for two weeks after the initial assessment.
Battimelli's, of 2079 Black Rock Turnpike, failed its health inspection on May 4 with a score of 77 out of 100. The business had a few four-point violations: curing dry sausage without a special process license, not having a hand sink in a food preparation area in the back and storing and reheating food at improper temperatures.
“We have addressed all of the items that the Fairfield Health Department cited,” said Donald Battimelli, who co-owns Battimelli's with his father, Carmine. “Furthermore we have proactively installed all new shelving and planning the installations of an extra hand sink.”
According to Fairfield's Health Department, the small grocery has not been reinspected yet, as they are waiting for a hand sink delivery. When it is installed, officials said, a reinspection will happen at that time.
Battimelli's also had other, lesser demerits for issues like improperly labeled ingredients, food items stored on the floor on a walk-in freezer and the dessert case not maintaining proper temperature.
Battimelli said this is the first time the store has been “remotely close” to not passing an inspection or having any issues with any health department.
Battimelli said his family has been making drycured sausage for generations.
“Only recently we were informed we are no longer allowed to do so by the local health department,” he said. “After speaking with state officials there has been confusion as to whose jurisdiction the oversight and licensing falls under in the state of Connecticut. Laboratory reports indicate we have a safe, consumable, and shelf stable product that meets all food grade requirements.”
Battimelli said they have since halted the production of the dried sausage for retail use and are actively working towards proper licensing with the help of the Fairfield Health Department and the United States Department of Agriculture.
He said the store has always had a hand sink at the entry of the kitchen that is used by kitchen and counter staff and the store's construction documents were approved by both the building and health departments.
“A recent health inspector requested an additional sink,” Battimelli said. “We immediately installed an additional hand sink within seven days of the citation.”
Since the installation of the requested hand sink, Battimelli said, they have proactively planned on installing yet another hand sink towards the rear of the kitchen.
Battimelli said they regularly check the temperature of their products.
“When the health department tested the food in the specified holding mechanism the temperature reading was slightly below regulation,” he said. “The health inspector began their inspection within 30 minutes of the holding mechanism being turned on, thus we were able to assume it was taking longer to come to temperature than it should have.”
Battimelli said they immediately contacted the manufacturer of the equipment and had it serviced. There is a fourhour window in which contamination can occur when food falls below holding temperature, he said, noting the reading was taken within the first 30 minutes.
Battimelli also said the items on the freezer floor were there because they had just been delivered and were in the process of being checked, labeled, rotated and placed.
“We have since implemented new procedures to prepare ourselves for scheduled deliveries to make sure products go directly into their respective locations,” he said.
The business has tested the temperature of its pastry case daily since inspection and as always it is in working order, Battimelli said, adding the temperature temporarily drops as the door is open to fill it. He said the temperature of the pastry case was taken after the case had been filled during the daily opening process.
Like many other small businesses, Battimelli said, Battimelli's A&S Italian Fine Foods is struggling with the labor shortage. He said they have always held themselves and staff to high standards and will continue to do so.
“We respect the work of the health department to ensure the safety of the patrons of food establishments throughout our town,” he said. “We have always maintained a high level of cleanliness and food safety that is regularly noted by our customers.”