Caribbean restaurant passes inspection, though two violations observed

A Caribbean restaurant in the Spring area passed its county health inspection earlier this month, though two violations were observed.

Harris County inspectors visited the Caribbean Hot Pot Restaurant on March 7 and gave the eatery eight demerits out of a possible 100. An establishment must receive 20 demerits to be considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit.

Five of the demerits were due to a "hot hold" violation. This meant that food that needs to stay about 135 degrees Fahrenheit to be safely prepared was inappropriately held under that temperature for more than four hours. This problem is among those that the county website states are commonly associated with food-borne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Three demerits were also given for problems with Hot Pot's thermometers.

The demerits are unusual for Hot Pot, which received perfect scores following two inspections last year.

For more information on how Harris County conducts food safety inspections, visit www.hcphes.org.