The Hidden Cafe and Catering
101-470 Neave Ct Kelowna BC V1V 2M2 · Food Manufacturing - Food Processing
3 inspections
- Monitoring
4 infractions
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Observation(s): Ice packs were not observed onsite other than the ones located inside the walk in refrigerator on a bottom shelf. Freezers appeared mostly full at the time of inspection and as such, will not support storage of ice packs for use on a daily basis. In addition, a number of cooler bags were observed in a pile on the floor inside the walk in refrigerator. Ice packs and cooler bags within the walk in refrigerator were covered in mouse droppings. Based on this information, it does not appear that sandwiches and other potentially hazardous food (PHF) items like salads, etc are being transported within cooler bags stocked with ice packs during delivery to customers. Please discontinue use of plastic totes for transportation of PHF where still being utilized until such time that refrigerated transport vehicles are provided/used for delivery of product to retailers. Please implement a suitable transportation method that includes use of cooler bags, several ice packs within each cooler bag, thermometers inside cooler bags and, temperature monitoring records to confirm transport and delivery of PHF at 4deg.C or less. Please provide additional freezer space for storage of enough freezer packs to support transportation of PHF at 4deg.C or less. Please follow-up by May 13, 2026 and on a weekly basis going forward (until August 31, 2026) , please provide a photo(s) to Interior Health showing the use of cooler bags, ice packs, thermometers and temperature monitoring records during each weekly delivery.
- F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
- Observation(s): Please confirm the use of thermometers & temperature monitoring records during transport and delivery to customers. Please confirm that test strips are being used for verifying sanitizer solutions on a daily basis basis
- F2.2 Are proper pest control measures in place on the premises?
- Observation(s): Mouse droppings were observed throughout the facility, along floor to wall junctions, corners, inside the walk in refrigerator, on top of some equipment like ice packs and cooler bags. Gaps were noted in some door seals, holes in walls were noted and areas of the facility cluttered with unnecessary supplies/equipment, all serving as entry points and harborage areas for mice. Please clean and disinfect all equipment, surfaces, floors, etc that have or may have been contaminated by mice and mouse droppings. Please unclutter the entire facility, ensure all equipment and supplies are stored 6 inches off of the floor, and eliminate all possible harborage areas for mice. Contact and maintain an ongoing weekly pest control contract with a professional pest control company until the pest issue has been addressed, afterwards maintaining a monthly frequency. Please contact a professional contractor to seal all mouse entry points into and within the building, including all holes in walls, door seals, missing rubberized baseboards, etc.
- F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
- Observation(s): Additional cleaning/sanitizing of equipment/surfaces is required to ensure adequate protection of food during production and storage.
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Monitoring
7 infractions
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Observation(s): As observed at the time of inspection, sandwiches are still being transported to retailers in non-insulated plastic totes with no ice packs observed and travel distances include up to hour(s) in a non-refrigerated vehicle. Although external ambient temperatures were noted at 9deg.C at the time of inspection, food temperatures were noted as follows: Potentially hazardous food (PHF)/sandwiches observed in plastic totes in the back of a transport vehicle were measured at temperatures as high as 7.5deg.C and temperatures of PHF/sandwiches observed in the loading area at the back entrance of the production room were measured as high as 12 deg.C (staff noted that pick-up of this particular delivery was delayed by a vehicle breakdown and that pick-up was expected shortly) - staff were requested to return upper totes back to the walk-in refrigerator to re-chill containers of PHF until delivery pick-up could occur. As previously communicated, this practice does not meet industry standards for transport of PHF items and accordingly, there are concerns surrounding proper temperature control during transport/delivery of sandwiches and other PHF items. Staff did note that cooler bags and ice packs were available for transport during warmer temperatures and although these were observed onsite, ice packs were not being stored in freezers and cooler bags were not in use. Further, temperature monitoring during transport of PHF was not in place (thermometers were not in use during transport and temperature monitoring records were not in use/not available). During correspondence with owner/operator in August of 2022, operator indicated that they were planning to retain refrigerated delivery vehicle(s) - at this time, it is understood that there are no refrigerated transport vehicles in use by The Hidden Cafe & Catering for transporting potentially hazardous food (ie. sandwiches, salads, etc). Please discontinue use of plastic totes for transport of PHF until such time that refrigerated transport vehicles are provided/used for delivery of product to retailers. Please implement a suitable transportation method that includes use of thermometers and temperature monitoring records to confirm transport and delivery of PHF at 4deg.C or less. Corrective actions/changes to practices must be taken where temperature standards are not being met - please follow-up by Nov 29, 2024.
- F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
- Observation(s): Temperature monitoring/record keeping was not available for refrigeration units/freezers or during transport of potentially hazardous food (PHF) during delivery to customers. Thermometers were not observed in some freezers, one thermometer in the walk-in refrigerator was broken and no temperature monitoring equipment was in use during transport of PHF to retailers. Test strips were not available/not in use for verifying the concentration of sanitizer solutions. Please provide/utilize test strips for verifying hard surface sanitizer concentrations (ie. 100-200ppm chlorine/bleach). Please provide thermometers inside all refrigeration units and freezers, as well as, within transport containers and maintain temperature monitoring records to verify and ensure the storage and transport of potentially hazardous food (PHF) at 4deg.C or less
- F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
- Observation(s): Sanitizer solutions (ie. sanitizer buckets at work stations) were not mixed/not observed in use at the time of inspection. Please ensure that sanitizer solutions are available/pre-mixed and located safety at each work station for routine sanitizing of food contact surfaces and counters/equipment. Please discontinue storage of clean food containers/bucket on the floor and instead, clean/reorganize storage shelving to provide for adequate storage of equipment.
- F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
- Observation(s): As requested at the time of last inspection, please raise bottom shelves on all storage shelving units throughout the facility (ie. production room/storage areas/walk-in refrigerator) to >6" off of the floor to enable ease of cleaning underneath - please complete by Dec 6, 2024. Where the existing plastic shelving units do not permit raising the bottom shelf and at the same time, provide for safe/sturdy storage of equipment/food/supplies, these shelving units will need to be replaced with more suitable alternatives. Please complete a more thorough cleaning of the main processing room kitchen floor and walk-in refrigerator, particularly underneath shelving units - please complete by Dec 6, 2024.
- F2.7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
- Observation(s): The main production room hand washing sink was not available for use at the time of inspection as a result of the placement of a storage shelving unit directly in front of the hand sink. Although staff indicated that hands are being washed in the washroom located outside of the production room, the lack of a dedicated handwashing sink in the production room will likely result in inadequate/less frequent handwashing by food handlers. Please remove the storage unit in front of the main production room hand washing sink in order to provide ease of access at all times during operation. Please confirm stocked wall mounted liquid soap and paper towel dispensers on the wall above the hand washing sink.
- F3.2 Is the premises construction and layout unchanged and in accordance with approved plans?
- Observation(s): Please re-locate the meat/chees slicer away from the main side entry door to a more suitable location that will enable better sanitation and temperature control during slicing/processing of deli meats and cheese. As discussed at the time of inspection, a suitable location may include the empty stainless counter observed adjacent to the walk-in refrigerator entry door. Staff indicated that ceiling mounted refrigeration units are not working/no longer used - please confirm that production room temperatures during warmer/summer months is climate controlled to enable proper temperature control of sandwiches/PHF ingredients, etc.
- F3.5 Are the FOODSAFE training requirements being met?
- Observation(s): No staff onsite at the time of inspection indicated that they hold valid food safety training. Please confirm additional staff food safety training to ensure that both owner/operator or at least one certified staff member are on duty at all times during operation.
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Monitoring
6 infractions
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Observation(s): As reviewed at the time of inspection, sandwiches are being transported to retailers in non-insulated plastic totes (although with ice packs) even during hot summer months and travel distances include up to hour(s) in a non-refrigerated vehicle. This practice does not meet industry standards for transport of PHF items and accordingly, there are concerns surrounding proper temperature control during transport/delivery of sandwiches and other PHF items. It is noted that The Hidden Cafe manufactures over 2000 sandwiches on a production day for delivery to retailers. Operator indicated that they are planning to install a reefer unit onto one of their current delivery vehicles but has not yet confirmed a date for install.
- F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
- F2.2 Are proper pest control measures in place on the premises?
- Observation(s): Overhead door/seal observed with a gap that may permit entry of pests (left side rollers were observed off/separated from the track creating a gap). One other side man-door also noted with a bottom door sweep that has a gap large enough for the entry of pests.
- F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
- F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
- F2.7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?