News Program Crowns Local Grocer No. 1 in health inspection violations

Safeway grocery stores are redoubling their efforts to ensure that company policies and procedures for food safety are in place, said a company spokesperson in the wake of a television news magazine report last week on supermarket cleanliness.

Safeway topped NBC Universal’s “Dateline” list of grocery store chains with critical violations, where according to the news program, the chain had the highest number violations with 25 for every 10 stores. A critical violation is classified as something that could make a person sick such as improper food temperatures, rodent infestation or unclean food contact surface, according to several health inspectors interviewed for the report.

“We were very disappointed to see the results of the ‘Dateline’ survey,” said Greg TenEyck, director of publicaffairs for Safeway Eastern Division. “They took a small sample of stores and drew what we think is an inaccurate conclusion about our company overall.” TenEyck says Safeway has a great safely record and works with local inspectors to ensure stores exceed safety standards. “When a critical violation is cited, we take immediate action to correct it and determine what procedural, training or policy actions are required to prevent a recurrence,” TenEyck said.

The supermarket survey compiled data from health departments in all states and the District. It used violations from 2004 because it is the most recent year data is complete, according to “Dateline.” Producers used hidden-cameras to document store violations and appearances. For the Safeway segment, the producers took a hidden-camera to a store on Capitol Hill in Southeast where it recorded missing light fixtures, wires hanging from the ceiling in sections of the store, water on the floor and missing or dirty floor tiles. The reporter said the store appeared to be in disarray and said the deli clerk sold producers fried chicken that was below the proper hot food holding temperatures.

In fact, District health inspection reports for the Capitol Hill store as recent as five days after the “Dateline” story aired and dating back to February 2004, reveal a pattern critical violations, including rodent infestation, unsafe food temperatures and even an expired business license. There were also a number of spot inspections generated by numerous complaints from shoppers who said they became ill after consuming food brought at the store.

Safeway officials say “Dateline” wasn’t completely honest in their story about the conditions at that store. “The store is clearly undergoing a multimillion dollar renovation, which should be completed by April,” TenEyck said. There are signs that say pardon our construction. The people who live in the area understand what is happening with the store,” TenEyck said.

“Dateline” spokesperson Jenny Tartikoff acknowledged work was being done on the store, but “the violations that ‘Dateline’ reported were not a result of that construction. The store had food and grime splashed on the floors and walls of the salad bar area and a dirty floor by the soup area,” Tartikoff said. She also said producers visited the D.C. store twice “and on neither occasion did we see any signs announcing that the store was under renovation,” Tartikoff said.

The remaining top five supermarket chains in the “Dateline” story with the highest number of critical violations were Albertsons, Publix, Kroger and Winn-Dixie. None have stores in the Washington area.

Media Credit: Troy Donte' Prestwood

Links for Story:

Dateline Full Report
D.C. Department of Health
Safeway
Alberston's
Publix
Kroger
Winn-Dixie