Dirty supermarkets: Two Goshen stores cited for critical violations
ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- According to grocery store health inspections, two stores in Goshen had more than 15 violations each - and they are both owned by the same person.
Jose Garcia owns San Jose Fresh Farm on Lincolnway East and Carniceria San Jose on Elkhart Road.
The Health Department cited 15 critical violations at San Jose Fresh Farm and 17 at Carniceria San Jose.
Alex Pletcher of Goshen finds that disturbing.
"It's amazing having worked in a kind of place like that where we were always thinking about if someone came in at this moment, what violations would we get?" said Pletcher.
Pletcher says he has worked in the food industry and his store manager would call a meeting after just one or two violations.
"Seventeen is a lot. That's not cool, but I've not shopped at these places but I wouldn't consider shopping there after hearing about these violations," said Pletcher.
The violations include: un-sanitized utensils, dirty floors, dirty prep tables, and employees failing to properly wash and dry their hands. There was also raw pork stored without any wrapping in a cooler and the meats were not separated.
Inspectors also found moldy tomatoes and green peppers inside the Fresh Farm.
We spoke with owner Jose Garcia, but he refused to comment on the high number of critical violations at both his stores.