Red placard issued to Kahului fast food and catering business

The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Maui Food Safety Branch issued a red “closed” placard to Paradise Supermart located at 207 East Wākea Ave. in Kahului on Nov. 21, 2023. According to a DOH news release, there were “multiple critical food safety violations that were determined to be a significant public health hazard.”

Inspectors from the Food Safety and Vector Control branches conducted inspections of the food establishment, operated by Paradise Asian Foods, Inc., as a result of a complaint. The department reports that the following violations were observed:

• Refrigeration not holding foods at proper temperature;
• Handwash sinks that were not accessible and in need of repair;
• Fresh vegetables that contained mold and dead flies;
• Live animals, fish, and flies in the premises;
• Openings in perimeter walls allowing pests to enter;
• Grease build-up, food debris, unsanitary conditions, and general clutter; and
• Lack of managerial control of food safety requirements.

The establishment must remain closed until all violations are resolved and the health department allows them to reopen to the public. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for Nov. 22, 2023.

The branch conducts routine health inspections of food establishments where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed, or sold.

Restaurant inspection reports, are available online at: http://hi.healthinspections.us/hawaii/.