A blood spill, poor contamination control, and uncertified food handlers are among health code violations cited against campus food service in the last year, according to county health inspectors.

Eateries in both the University Union and the Riverfront Center have marks against them from the Environmental Management Department, which is charged with inspecting all restaurants in Sacramento County.

County inspectors cited Gordito Burrito for blood leaking from raw meat in their refrigerator and ordered them to clean it up. The University Union establishment also stored raw meat on shelves above other food items and kept a knife in a sink reserved for hand washing.

Gordito Burrito?s violations were discovered as part of more than a dozen inspections conducted during the first three months of this year. Health officials looked for cases of potential contamination, improper food storage, and sanitation lapses.

Among the largest offenders on the campus, La Creperie has been cited 14 times this year over the course of three inspections.The French crepe stand had repeated infractions including improperly storing batter mixes at temperatures reaching 60 degrees during one inspection when it should have been stored at 41 degrees.

Sacramento County rules mandate that food be stored at 41 degrees or lower. Above that temperature, bacteria can thrive causing potential for illness such as food poisoning.

La Creperie, Round Table Pizza, and Burger King could not produce a food handler certificate at the time of inspection, raising concerns that no one in any of those establishments had a working knowledge of food storage and preparation.

Handler certification requires a staff member take a test on county sanitation, food, and storage codes. Those same codes require every restaurant have a certified employee.

Inspectors found River Front Center?s Crumbs stored chemicals too close to food, creating a contamination hazard. They also found the kitchen area unclean with food debris on a large mixer. An adulterated baking bulk sugar container “with an unknown liquid” which “hardened with black particles” drew an inspector?s notice. Crumbs was ordered to empty and clean the container.

Cross contamination concerns surfaced in The River Front Market when inspectors noticed chemicals stored next to food and that handlers were touching raw meat and putting a final meal together without washing their hands. Raw hamburger was found sitting next lettuce in a refrigerator in Central Food, but was corrected immediately.

The residence halls were not spared from inspector?s citations. Dining Commons employees did not wash their hands after touching raw meat before putting together final meals.

When contacted by the State Hornet, no Union eateries except Java City could produce their inspection records, despite publicly displayed certificates that read,”A copy of the most recent report completed after Jan. 1, 2001 is maintained at this food facility and available for review.”

Calls to county officials and the CSUS Foundation, which runs most of the food service on campus, went unanswered.

Various students and faculty in the dining area of the University Union and the River Front Center thought campus dining seemed fine.

“Everything looks fine to me. There?s noting out of the ordinary,” junior Nick Storms said.