CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A Champaign restaurant was given a yellow placard after a health inspector found 10 or more violations during a recent inspection. This included an “uncountable number” of flies, raw foods stored over ready to eat foods, and a lack of training for allergens.

Cravings, located at 603 S Wright St. in Champaign, was inspected Sept. 3. The inspector found 10 risk factor/intervention violations and one repeat risk factor/intervention violation.

Because 10 or more “priority” items or “priority foundation” item violations were found, a yellow placard was posted at the facility. Priority items are items that help to prevent hazards associated with foodborne illness or injury. Priority foundation items help to support priority items.

Some of these violations included:

• Employees went outside, re-entered and resumed food prep activities without washing their hands
• Raw fish was stored above ready to eat pork inside the walk-in cooler and egg yolks were stored above ready to eat coconut milk, sauce, and employee beverages
• Issues with cooling cooked foods
  • Two containers of fried chicken was sitting inside the mop sink area, stored on top of 10-gallon buckets and uncovered. The chicken was found between 75-77°F and thrown out
  • Beef broth was sitting on the food prep table about two hours ago and was 80°F. It was thrown out
• There was an “uncountable number of flies” in the kitchen, landing on food items; the garbage area in the alleyway was a “contributing factor”
• Most of the staff did not have food handler certificates and the person in charge was not allergen-trained.

The inspector also noted that multiple items were sitting at room temperature on top of the make table cooler. The inspector asked how long the items had been out of temperature; in reply, the person in charged pointed to a sign which read “All meats out of the refrigerator should be discarded after 4 hours.” According to the inspector report, the restaurant was not following the correct food safety procedures for holding foods at room temperature. The facility did not have a way to verify items that were only out for four hours or less.

You can find a full list of the violations here.

If any of the priority or priority foundation violations are found at a follow-up inspection, then Cravings will be closed and a red placard will be posted. The follow-up inspection will be done in about 10 business days.

To see other restaurant inspections in Champaign County, click here.