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Merritt Secondary School Cafeteria

1561 Chapman St Merritt BC V1K 1B8 · Restaurant - Food Service

Official record from Interior Health →

Inspection summary

Merritt Secondary School Cafeteria has been inspected 20 times by Interior Health Authority since April 11, 2013. The most recent inspection, on April 17, 2026, found no infractions.

11 of 20 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 0 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing and Protecting food from contamination.

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.

  • 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 6 times across 6 separate inspections, most recently on April 30, 2025. For example: 3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?

  • 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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on December 8, 2020. For example: 5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?

  • Equipment and utensilsLower risk

    Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 11, 2016. For example: 14 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?

  • Building, plumbing and upkeepLower risk

    Floors, walls and ceilings must be smooth and clean, with working lighting, ventilation, plumbing, hot and cold water, and washrooms. These are rarely an immediate food-safety risk on their own, but persistent problems can lead to pest or sanitation issues.

    Recorded once on April 30, 2025. For example: 6 Are the premises designed and equipped to ensure safe food handling?

  • 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 once on April 11, 2017. For example: 7 - Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?

About this data

These results come from Interior Health Authority, 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.

20 inspections

  1. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  2. Monitoring

    2 infractions

    • F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): INFRACTION NOT RESOLVED: All meat debris (including dry debris) must be removed from the deli slicer after use. At the time of inspection dried meat debris was noted at the bottom of the blade in the blade guard. Meat debris left on the deli slicer can contaminate fresh foods being sliced. Instruct students and staff to clean the slicer properly.
      • F2.3B Manual dishwashing procedure must provide sufficient washing and sanitizing action to remove contamination.
    • F2.6 Are the premises designed and equipped to ensure safe food handling?
      • Observation(s): 1. NEW INFRACTION: The cooler at the cafeteria serving counter is not operating., as a result, foods requiring refrigeration are being displayed on the serving counter without refrigeration. Have the cooler repaired, or replace the cooler with a new commercial grade cooler (with NSF certification). 2. NOTE: Until the cooler mentioned above is repaired or replaced, all foods requiring refrigeration must be kept in an ice cooler during food service and then returned to the walk-in cooler.
      • F2.6E Refrigeration equipment must be of the type or capacity to meet the needs of the premises.
  3. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): 1. NEW INFRACTION: The deli slicer requires cleaning and sanitizing. Slicer is to be cleaned and sanitized at least every four hours when used throughout a day, or at the end of the operation (as per Code). 2. NOTE: At the time of inspection the dishwasher was not supplied with detergent. Operator reports that all wares etc. are washed in detergent in the double sink prior to being placed in the dishwasher. The dishwasher must also be supplied with detergent as per Code.
      • F2.3C Clean in place warewashing procedures must provide sufficient washing and sanitizing action to remove contamination.
  4. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  5. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
      • Observation(s): • NEW: The probe thermometer needs to be operating (new battery?), and should be readily available for checking food temperatures in coolers, any hot holding, etc. • NEW: Test strips are needed for the Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer used in the kitchen (the quats test strips will not work for this product). EcoLab should be able to supply.
      • F2.1A Sanitizer test strips must be available for each chemical sanitizer used at the premises.
      • F2.1B A thermometer accurate within 1 °C must be available to monitor processes.
  6. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  7. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): • Sanitizer solution must be kept ready and available in the kitchen at all times, either in a spray bottle, or in a wipe cloth pail. Mix sanitizer solutions as per the manufacturers instructions. Correct procedure right away. • NOTE: Dishwasher: the final rinse water temperature inside the washer at the dish rack was 73.2° C; the temperature at the dish rack must be a minimum of 71° C; the inside sanitizing temperature at the dish rack was ok. • NOTE: Before the final rinse water enters the dish washer the water temperature must be a minimum of 82° C; the washer gauge indicated that the water was 76° C prior to entering the washer. The machine gauge may require calibration(?).
      • F2.3D Sanitizer solution must be available and kept at the correct levels for adequate sanitizing action.
  8. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  9. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  10. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
      • Observation(s): • The drain pipe under the kitchen hand wash sink adjacent to the ovens is leaking (dripping). do not store any items under the sink until drain is repaired.
      • F2.5A All equipment, utensils and food contact surfaces used on the premises must be kept in good working order to ensure the sanitary handling of food.
  11. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): The sanitizer dispenser for the kitchen is not operating; sanitizer solution must be available in the kitchen at all times. Have the dispenser turned on or repaired right away. Until the dispenser is operating the staff must find an alternate method of preparing a sanitizer solution for use in the kitchen; e.g. mix 5 ml of household bleach with 1 L of water. A sanitizer solution in a spray bottle or a wipe cloth pail must be available in the kitchen at all times. Test strips for quats sanitizer and chlorine sanitizer must be available in the kitchen for testing sanitizer concentrations. quats and Chlorine test strips can be purchased at ICS Clean Supplies, 1318 Dalhousie Drive, Kamloops 250-372-7114. Correct right away.
      • F2.3D Sanitizer solution must be available and kept at the correct levels for adequate sanitizing action.
  12. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  13. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  14. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  15. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  16. Monitoring

    2 infractions

    • F2.3 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): a) Corrected at the time of inspection: Do not use the Windex disinfectant for sanitizing the food counters as this product requires washing off after use. Use the quats sanitizer from the chemical dispenser; use quats in spray bottles located at each work station, refresh daily. b) Obtain new quats test strips from the chemical supplier; ask about test strips Quats 40 or Quats 44.
    • F3.7 - Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
      • Observation(s): a) The written food safety plan must be available on site at all times for reference to proper temperature controls etc. A generic food safety plan poster was left with the operators at the time of inspection, this must be posted in a prominent location in the kitchen. b) Staff and students must monitor cooking temperatures, cooling temperatures and food storage temperatures to ensure that all temperatures are within the critical limits of the food safety plan. All temperatures should be recorded daily on a log sheet; a log sheet is attached with this report.
  17. Monitoring

    3 infractions

    • 8 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): a) The rice cooker/slow cooker requires cleaning, at the time of inspection the plastic tray had grease remaining on it. b) The large deli meat slicer had food debris, and oven mitts were stored on the slicer (sources of cross contamination). Food debris must be removed after use and do not place items on the slicer. c) The dishwasher wash cycle reached 66 C, the dishwasher sanitizing cycle reached 82 C. d) The Quats sanitizer (spray bottle) had a concentration of 200 ppm, ok. The sanitizer bottle was not marked with "sanitizer", write sanitizer on the bottle.
      • 8.1 - Mechanical dishwasher must provide sufficient washing and sanitizing action to remove contamination.
      • 8.3 - Manual dishwashing procedure must provide sufficient washing and sanitizing action to remove contamination.
    • 9 - Are foods handled in a sanitary manner and protected from contamination?
      • Observation(s): a) At the time of inspection a package of English muffins were stored a container of unwrapped raw bacon; Double stacking of products without proper container lids or wrapping increases the risk of cross contamination of foods and food preparation surfaces. All food handlers must keep foods separated. Correct immediately. b) All food storage containers in the chest freezer must have lids to prevent the contamination of foods.
      • 9.1 - The operator must ensure that all food on the premises is protected from contamination.
    • 14 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
      • Observation(s): a) At the time of inspection the outside door of the kitchen was wide open and the pest screen was open. This was an infraction on previous inspections, have staff keep the door closed or use the pest screen.
      • 14.12 - The premises must be protected against entry of pests.
  18. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • 14 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
      • Observation(s): 1. The sliding pest screen at the kitchen back door does not close due to the bottom track being bent.; the pest screen must be able to close to protect the premises against the entry of pests (kitchen staff keep the back door open). Correct by May 5, 2015. 2. The bottom track of the pest screen can be protected from damage by delivery carts etc. by installing a protective wood or metal bumper on either side of the track.
      • 14.12 - The premises must be protected against entry of pests.
  19. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  20. Monitoring

    0 infractions

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