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Al's West Indian Food Mart

7 & 8 1660 Kingston Rd, Pickering ON L1V 5R2 · Food Safety Inspections

Official record from Durham Region →

Inspection summary

Al's West Indian Food Mart has been inspected 8 times by Durham Region Health Department since March 31, 2025. The most recent inspection, on August 12, 2026, recorded 3 infractions.

None of the 8 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 5 inspections with 14 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Food temperature control and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

  • PestsHigher risk

    Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.

    Recorded 7 times across 7 separate inspections, most recently on August 12, 2026. For example: Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents

  • Food temperature controlHigher risk

    Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.

    Recorded 2 times on August 20, 2025. For example: Potentially hazardous food is held at 4°C (40°F) or lower

  • Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

    Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 20, 2025. For example: Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels

  • Chemicals and toxic substancesHigher risk

    Cleaning products, sanitizers and pesticides must be labelled and stored away from food and food-contact surfaces. Inspectors flag chemicals that could end up in food, as well as pest treatments applied without proper supervision.

    Recorded once on February 23, 2026. For example: Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)

  • Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

    This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

    Recorded once on August 20, 2025. For example: Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration

About this data

These results come from Durham Region Health Department, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

8 inspections

  1. Routine

    3 infractions

    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Evidence of pests observed
      • Operator to ensure storage areas are maintained clean and organized to facilitate the monitoring of pest control
      • Operator to ensure food premise shall be protected against the entry of pest
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
    • Ceilings clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure ceiling of food premise kept clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure ceiling of the food premise is maintained in a sanitary condition and in good repair
  2. Routine

    2 infractions

    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Fail to prevent the entrance of insect / rodent / pest
      • * Evidence of pests observed
      • Operator to ensure food premise shall be protected against the entry of pest
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
  3. Re-Inspection

    1 infraction

    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Evidence of pests observed
      • Provide proof of contract with licensed pest control operator to control and remove insect/pest infestation
  4. Complaint

    5 infractions

    • Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)
      • * Fail to maintain utensils, multi-service articles and/or food contact surfaces in a clean and sanitary manner and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure all food contact surfaces, utensils and/or multi-service articles are cleaned and sanitized after each use and are maintained in good repair
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces as readily cleanable and non-absorbent
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are maintained clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are readily cleanable/non-absorbent and of sound and tight construction.
    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Fail to maintain premise free from every condition that may adversely affect the sanitary operation of the premise
      • * Fail to maintain premise free from every condition that may adversely affect the food therein
      • * Evidence of significant pests observed
      • Contact licensed pest control operator for insect / rodent / pest treatment and control
      • Provide proof of contract with licensed pest control operator to control and remove insect/pest infestation
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floor of food-handling room kept clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
    • The premises is maintained free from every SERIOUS condition that may be a health hazard, adversely affecting the sanitary operation of the premises or adversely affecting the wholesomeness of the food
      • Fail to operate and maintain premise free from every condition that may be a health hazard
      • Observed significant insect/rodent infestation
      • Operator to operate and maintain premise free from every condition that may be a health hazard
  5. Routine

    3 infractions

    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Evidence of pests observed
      • Operator to ensure storage areas are maintained clean and organized to facilitate the monitoring of pest control
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
    • Walls clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure walls of food premise kept clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure walls of food premise are maintained in a sanitary condition and in good repair
  6. Re-Inspection

    1 infraction

    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Evidence of pests observed
      • Operator to ensure storage areas are maintained clean and organized to facilitate the monitoring of pest control
  7. Routine

    8 infractions

    • Potentially hazardous food is held at 4°C (40°F) or lower
      • * Fail to ensure potentially hazardous foods are held at 4°C (40°F) or less
      • Potentially hazardous foods observed at an internal temperature above 4° C (40°F)
    • Food is prepared in a safe manner
      • * Fail to ensure food is prepared in a safe manner
      • Observed potentially hazardous foods not being thawed in an appropriate and safe manner
    • Hot holding of potentially hazardous food: minimum of 60°C (140°F) after cooking / rapid re-heating
      • * Fail to hold potentially hazardous food at 60°C (140°F) or higher after cooking / rapid re-heating
      • Operator to ensure potentially hazardous foods are held at 60°C (140°F) or higher after cooking/rapid reheating
    • Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels
      • * Fail to provide adequate supplies (single-use towels, soap in a dispenser) for the hand washing basin in the food preparation area
      • Operator to ensure hand washing basins are adequately supplied
    • Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Fail to protect food from contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure all food is properly stored, displayed, transported and served to prevent contamination
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are maintained clean and in good repair
    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Evidence of pests observed
      • Provide proof of contract with licensed pest control operator to control and remove insect/pest infestation
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
  8. Routine

    1 infraction

    • Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels
      • * Fail to provide adequate supplies (single-use towels, soap in a dispenser) for the hand washing basin in the food preparation area
      • Operator to ensure hand washing basins are adequately supplied

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