Georgia food truck fails health inspection with score of 60

A mobile food truck operating in the Atlanta area received a failing grade from state health inspectors last week, with violations ranging from improper food handling to ingredients stored at the operator’s home.

The inspection

The Rolling Potato, a food truck permitted to operate in Georgia, scored a 60 out of 100 during a routine inspection May 22 — a failing score under state standards. Inspectors documented six violations, four of them in the most serious category. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for June 1.

Food stored at home, not corrected on site

The most significant unresolved violation involved food sourced from outside an approved facility. According to the inspection report, the person in charge confirmed that cheese and sour cream were stored at her home address and intended to be used at the pop-up event. State rules prohibit home-prepared foods or condiments from being sold or served at any food service establishment. That violation was not corrected during the inspection and cost the truck nine points.

Temperature and handling violations

Inspectors also flagged multiple temperature-related problems. Cooked chicken and steak were found being held below the required 135 degrees in a storage container. When reheated, both items initially failed to reach the required 165 degrees before the person in charge returned them to the stove a second time. Both violations were corrected on site, each carrying a nine-point deduction.

A fourth nine-point violation involved bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat steak. State rules require food workers to use gloves, tongs, or other utensils when handling food that will not be cooked again before being served. The steak was placed back on the stove to continue cooking after the violation was observed.

Equipment and personal cleanliness

Inspectors also noted that a red-lidded storage container being used to hold food did not meet the commercial-grade equipment standards required for pop-up events — a concern that had been raised during a previous plan review. Food was transferred to an approved container during the inspection. Separately, the person in charge was observed handling food while wearing multiple bracelets, which is prohibited under state rules. The bracelets were removed after several discussions with the inspector.