Carnitas Don Jose Foods

Inspection summary

Carnitas Don Jose Foods has been inspected 7 times by Vancouver Coastal Health since May 1, 2025. The most recent inspection, on February 24, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.

2 of 7 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 4 inspections with 6 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Handwashing and staff hygiene, Food temperature control and Protecting food from contamination.

Recent inspections have recorded fewer infractions than earlier ones, so the record is improving.

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.

• 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 4 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on November 13, 2025. For example: Each employee demonstrates good personal hygiene and washes their hands as often as necessary to prevent the contamination of food.

• 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 across 2 separate inspections, most recently on October 30, 2025. For example: Potentially hazardous food is at a hot holding temperature that keeps it safe to eat.

• 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 October 30, 2025. For example: Food is handled in a sanitary manner and is not subject to contamination.

• Food safety training and certificationLower risk

  Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.

  Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on February 24, 2026. For example: A Certified food safety training course has been taken by the operator and food handlers of the food service establishment.

• Permits, records and postingLower risk

  Operating permits, required signage, written procedures and logs. These findings are administrative: the documentation was missing or out of date at the time of inspection.

  Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on October 30, 2025. For example: Operator of a food service establishment has developed, maintained, and followed approved written procedures to ensure that a health hazard does not occur.

About this data

These results come from Vancouver Coastal Health, 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.

• View the official Vancouver Coastal Health disclosure site
• See all inspected facilities in Vancouver Coastal
• How to read an inspection report