Swadesh Supermarket
4 & 5 1439 Upper Ottawa Street, Hamilton ON L8W 3J6 · Food Shop
Inspection summary
Swadesh Supermarket has been inspected 9 times by City of Hamilton Public Health Services since October 4, 2022. The most recent inspection, on October 7, 2026, recorded 6 infractions.
1 of 9 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 12 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Protecting food from contamination and Food temperature control.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
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 4 separate inspections, most recently on October 7, 2026. For example:
Manual dishwashing: Wash, rinse, sanitize technique
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 5 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on July 25, 2025. For example:
Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
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 4 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on October 7, 2026. For example:
Food is held at 4°C (40°F) or less
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 July 24, 2024. For example:
Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
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 once on March 5, 2026. For example:
Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
About this data
These results come from City of Hamilton Public Health Services, 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.
9 inspections
- Routine Inspection
6 infractions
- Furniture, equipment and appliances in food handling and storage rooms arranged and constructed to permit a clean and sanitary environment
- Manual dishwashing: Wash, rinse, sanitize technique
- Maintenance of sanitary facilities
- Food is held at 4°C (40°F) or less
- Adjust or repair the refrigeration unit immediately. Do not store any hazardous foods in the unit until it is able to maintain hazardous foods at 4°C (40°F) or less
- Ensure all hazardous foods are stored at 4°C (40°F) or less
- Hot holding: minimum of 60°C (140°F) after cooking / rapid re-heating
- Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained
- Routine Inspection
6 infractions
- Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
- Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
- Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
- Manual dishwashing: Wash, rinse, sanitize technique
- Maintenance of sanitary facilities
- Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Routine Inspection
2 infractions
- Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
- Hand washing station must be used only for hand washing of employees
- Ensure hand washing basin is unobstructed and accessible for hand washing
- Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
- Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
- Routine Inspection
2 infractions
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Provide paper towels in a dispenser at hand basin in food preparation area
- Cloths and towels maintained in clean, good repair and not used for other purposes
- Change sanitizing solution for wiping cloths at a minimum of every 2 hours, or as often as necessary, to maintain the solution clean and sanitary at all times
- Ensure wiping cloths are kept in a sanitizing solution when not in use
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Routine Inspection
3 infractions
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Provide soap in a dispenser at hand basin in the food preparation area
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Store food off the floor to prevent contamination
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Routine Inspection
5 infractions
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Cleaning required around, under, and behind kitchen equipment, counters, and baseboards
- Ensure walls are kept clean and in good repair
- Testing reagent used to determine concentration of sanitizer
- Provide and use test reagent to determine concentration of sanitizer
- Manual dishwashing: Wash, rinse, sanitize technique
- Ensure manual dishwashing includes the three steps: wash, rinse, and sanitize
- Provide sufficient detergent or chemicals for washing or sanitizing
- Use sanitizing agent in accordance with manufacturer's instructions
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Protect food from contamination and adulteration
- Cover all food in storage
- Store food off the floor to prevent contamination
- Displayed food must be enclosed in a manner to prevent contamination
- Certified food handler present in the food service premise
- Ensure certified food handler or supervisor is present during all hours of operation
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Routine Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Certified food handler present in the food service premise
- Ensure certified food handler or supervisor is present during all hours of operation
- Certified food handler present in the food service premise