In June:
Too-cool chicken and not-cool-enough pizza ingredients helped earn Claim Jumper’s Tucson restaurant a “probationary” rating from the county health department.
On Tuesday, June 7, a county inspector found chicken cooked to under the mandated 165 degrees and a number of pizza ingredients kept at well over the 41 degrees required for potentially hazardous foods. The inspector also saw an employee handle a garbage can and then return to work without washing his hands; food prep utensils with “dry food debris;” and cutting boards being cleaned but not sanitized as required.
Most of the violations were corrected on site with the inspector present, according to a county report.
Probationary status is given when five or more critical violations are found at a restaurant. If critical violations are still present at a follow-up inspection within 10 days, the restaurant “fails.”
Since 2005, Claim Jumper, at 3761 E. Broadway, consistently received “good” and “excellent” ratings, and this inspection was the first it failed.
Claim Jumper Senior Vice President Terry Turney said, “Unfortunately, on the day of the inspection, our staff did not adhere to our high standards, which is totally unacceptable. All violations were corrected on-site during the inspection. We will continue to work closely with the Health Department to ensure that the highest measures of sanitation and safety are maintained for our guests.”
