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DAM Foods Caribbean Market

154 Harwood Ave S, Ajax ON L1S 2H6 · Food Safety Inspections

Official record from Durham Region →

Inspection summary

DAM Foods Caribbean Market has been inspected 7 times by Durham Region Health Department since December 18, 2024. The most recent inspection, on May 11, 2026, recorded 3 infractions.

None of the 7 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 4 inspections with 9 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Chemicals and toxic substances.

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.

  • 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 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on May 11, 2026. For example: Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration

  • 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 May 11, 2026. 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 July 23, 2025. For example: Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)

  • Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

    Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

    Recorded once on April 22, 2025. For example: Food contact surfaces washed / rinsed / sanitized after each use and following any operations when contamination may have occurred

  • 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 5 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on January 19, 2026. For example: Minimum of 1 Certified Food Handler per hour of operation?

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.

7 inspections

  1. Routine

    3 infractions

    • 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
      • * Observed potentially hazardous food not covered to prevent contamination / adulteration
      • Operator to ensure all foods are covered in storage
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to maintain food premise with tight, smooth and non-absorbent floor or floor coverings
      • Operator to ensure floor or floor coverings are tight, smooth and non-absorbent
  2. Re-Inspection

    1 infraction

    • Minimum of 1 Certified Food Handler per hour of operation?
      • * Fail to provide a minimum of 1 certified food handler per hour of operation
      • Operator to ensure a minimum of 1 certified food handler is present during every hour of operation
  3. Routine

    2 infractions

    • Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels
      • * Fail to provide hot and cold water for hand washing in food preparation area
      • * 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
    • Minimum of 1 Certified Food Handler per hour of operation?
      • * Fail to provide a minimum of 1 certified food handler per hour of operation
      • Operator to ensure a minimum of 1 certified food handler is present during every hour of operation
  4. Routine

    3 infractions

    • 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
      • Operator to ensure all foods are covered in storage
      • Operator to ensure all foods are stored off the floor
    • Sanitary maintenance of and provision of required supplies in staff / public washroom facilities
      • * Fail to equip facility with a supply of soap or detergent
      • Operator to ensure the washroom facilities are properly supplied with soap/detergent, single-service towels or hot air dryer, toilet paper and hot and cold running water
    • 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
  5. Routine

    2 infractions

    • Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Fail to protect food from contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Observed scoops/utensils not being stored in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure all food is properly stored, displayed, transported and served to prevent contamination
      • Operator to ensure scoops/utensils are stored and maintained in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination and/or adulteration
    • Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)
      • * Fail to provide utensils and/or multi-service food containers/multi-service articles that can be readily cleaned and sanitized
      • Operator to ensure all food contact surfaces/equipment/utensils/multi-service articles are made of materials that are corrosion resistant/non-toxic/non-absorbent
  6. Routine

    3 infractions

    • Food handler (does not use tobacco while handling food, has clean outer garments, good personal hygiene, hair confined, free from infectious agent of a disease/skin disease, submit medical exams and tests as required)
      • * Operator / employee not free from infectious disease while working with food
      • Operator/employee to ensure they are free from infectious diseases while working with food
    • Food contact surfaces washed / rinsed / sanitized after each use and following any operations when contamination may have occurred
      • * Fail to ensure food contact surfaces are cleaned & sanitized after each use or as often as necessary
      • Operator to ensure all food contact surfaces are properly cleaned & sanitized
    • Sanitary maintenance of and provision of required supplies in staff / public washroom facilities
      • * Fail to equip facility with a supply of soap or detergent
      • Operator to ensure the washroom facilities are properly supplied with soap/detergent, single-service towels or hot air dryer, toilet paper and hot and cold running water
  7. Routine

    2 infractions

    • Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
      • * Fail to use basin only for hand washing of employees
      • Operator to ensure designated hand washing basin is only used for hand washing
    • Minimum of 1 Certified Food Handler per hour of operation?
      • * Fail to provide a minimum of 1 certified food handler per hour of operation
      • Operator to ensure a minimum of 1 certified food handler is present during every hour of operation

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