In Oregon, it hasn’t always been simple to find out how your local grocery store performs in routine state food safety inspections -- until today.

If you lived in California or many places in Washington, the information would be available online at your fingertips: Which stores had rat infestations, roaches, mold or workers who didn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom.

All elevate your risk of food poisoning, a major health threat nationwide. Between 2012 and 2016, federal data show, nearly 1,200 illnesses were traced to food preparation in grocery stores. That figure undercounts the real number, because many are never reported and their sources are not identified.

The information blackout on inspection results ends now. The Oregonian/OregonLive is doing what the state of Oregon has not, publishing the results of thousands of grocery store inspections online.

Our searchable database highlights the most recent routine inspections by the Oregon Department of Agriculture at more than 1,100 stores across the state, from major national chains to small neighborhood markets. Records are shown for stores that have a retail license and handle or prepare raw food. You can also drill down into a store’s past inspections, including follow-ups and those prompted by complaints. We hope to update the data monthly.

Marsha Cohen, a professor at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law who specializes in food law, said it made no sense for the state to collect such vast stores of information but not share them publicly.

“As consumers, we vote with our dollars," she said. "If we change consumer behavior or make information public and people are afraid of it changing consumer behavior, it can change corporate behavior, which is the goal.”

The agriculture department said in a statement that it is committed to transparency and that consumers may obtain inspection results for a store by filing a public records request. Agency officials have promised monthly updates to the data provided to the newsroom and worked with reporters at length to ensure it was presented accurately.

To make it easier to compare stores, our database includes a total score for point deductions. We calculated these scores based on the Oregon Retail Food Code, which assigns the most points to serious violations. For consistency, the scores reflect a store’s most recent set of regularly scheduled inspections. Higher scores mean more problems were found.

The agriculture department chooses not to compute such scores, stating: “While our currently adopted version of the Oregon Food Code does associate a point value with a violation type, a points system is not required and is not part of our enforcement focus.”

At which stores did Oregon’s state inspectors find the most significant problems?

Here are the 21 stores that topped the list. Bear in mind that inspection reports are only a snapshot. Many violations are corrected on the spot or in time for a follow-up inspection from the state. We have included comments from stores where management responded to our questions.

1. Supermercados Mexico, 17420 S.E. Division St., Portland

Total point deductions: 77

High risk violations: 15

Repeat issues: 10

What inspectors found: Roasted chicken and chicharones in hot food case weren’t warm enough. Raw shrimp next to cooked shrimp in display case were touching. Chorizo in cooler wasn’t cold enough. Packaged pork stored at room temperature on top of meat display. Cream cheese in bakery cooler was not kept cold enough. Improper washing of a mixer. A sanitizing fluid had too much chlorine. Cooked beans were improperly cooled. Kitchen manager couldn’t answer questions about proper heating and cooling. Employee touched glove to nose and then used a knife with the gloved hand. Meat cutting boards and knives used for four hours without sanitizing. READ MORE

Store response: Victor Arciga, store manager, said customer health is his top priority and he values the feedback he receives from food safety inspectors. “I like them to show up, because that way I learn how to be better and how to protect the customer,” Arciga said. Prompted by the store’s inspection results, the store now uses a mechanism on all its sinks to create the correct mix of sanitizing fluid and water. Arciga also brought in a new chorizo cooler to maintain the right temperature. He hired a company that rewired the store’s hot display cases to maintain the right temperature. He is in the process of getting specialized certifications for employees, including a kitchen manager who had trouble answering heating and cooling questions.

Arciga said he does his own daily health inspections at the store, checking temperatures and cleanser levels. Sometimes, in the past, workers didn’t wash their hands between glove changes because their hands must also be thoroughly dried before putting on a new pair. That takes time, and people are moving fast. Arciga said workers wash their hands consistently now. He said it’s a constant process of training and reminding employees about proper procedures. “I don’t want customers to get sick because of my food,” Arciga said.

2. H Mart, 3301 S.E. Belmont Ave., Portland

Total point deductions: 66

High risk violations: 14

Repeat issues: None

What inspectors found: Meat cutting room floors in poor repair. Meat grinder heavily soiled with old food residue. Fly trap over food prep area. Raw halibut steaks in seafood display too warm. Cooked octopus and clams stored beneath raw salmon in display; raw produce stored above containers of washed, ready-to-eat produce. Employees unable to answer questions related to food safety and sanitation. Used whisk was not disinfected before being stored with clean utensils. Leafy greens and sweet potatoes not kept cold enough. READ MORE

Store response: Michelle Lin, customer service manager for the store, said all violations cited in the report have been fixed. She attributed some problems to the fact the brand new store only opened in April; the inspections happened in May. Lin, who has a food service certification, said she has given food safety lessons to employees since then. She also said the store brought in a technician to repair a refrigeration unit that was not keeping food cold enough. Employees have adjusted food descriptions on labels as required. She thinks the next inspection will go much better. “I’m going to make sure everything’s a success,” Lin said.

3. San Francisco Tienda Mexicana, 8750 S.W. Citizens Drive, Wilsonville

Total point deductions: 62

High risk violations: 13

Repeat issues: 13

What the inspectors found: Raw meat stored at room temperature for four hours. Employees fixing tacos without gloves. Bloody scale used to process queso fresco cheese. No hot water in hand sink. No chlorine sanitizer used. Bakery mixers and dough cutter needed cleaning. Ready-to-eat cheeses, chicken and beans weren’t date-marked. READ MORE

4. Super Milton Market, 21 N. Columbia St., Milton-Freewater

Total point deductions: 61

High risk violations: 10

Repeat violations: 18

What inspectors found: Hundreds of rodent feces seen along the meat display case. Blood on the floor in the walk-in cooler. Meat stored in black garbage bags. Unclean surfaces. Raw meat stored on a shelf above bell peppers and avocados. Paint peeling on a bakery wall covered in flour and soiled food. Black and brown grease dripping off ceiling of meat coolers with open tubs and trays of meat in the cooler. Black grime and mold on rolling rack carrying raw meat tubs. Rotten oranges in produce cooler. Produce cooler fans covered in dust. Produce bins and shelves covered in grime and accumulated food debris. “Massive amounts” of dried food in the deli hot case. READ MORE

Store response: “Things have been remedied,” said Imelda Figueroa, the store owner. Of the rodent droppings, she said: “We’ve never seen rats here. We looked and looked and we’ve never seen them. It’s unfair. It does make us seem like we have animals here when we totally don’t. I was really upset about that.” Figueroa said the store began using food grade bags to store meat and began cleaning more frequently.

5. Salem Mega Foods, 3695 Devonshire Court NE, Salem

Total point deductions: 57

High risk violations: 9

Repeat issues: None

What inspectors found: JoJos, onion rings, corn dogs, whole chickens and fried chicken weren’t kept hot enough. Fruit flies observed by hot food deli case and appeared to be breeding in pooled water on employee side of the hot service case. Two bottles labeled as sanitizer actually had oil and degreaser inside. No shellfish tags for oysters. Bakery employee seen using his apron to clean the inside of his ear. Cream cheese bolillos stored in display case were 70 degrees. Dozens of eggs stored at 60 degrees. READ MORE

Store response: “Mega Foods understands the seriousness of these violations and corrected all discrepancies immediately following the inspection. Additionally, Mega Foods retrained all employees on best practices for food handling and cleanliness as outlined in the Marion County Foods Handlers Training Manual. New policies were also adopted to ensure management verifies food and safety compliance several times throughout the day. Mega Foods is confident that these violations will not be repeated.”

6. Tienda y Carniceria La Tapatia, 18330 S.E. Stark St., Portland

Total point deductions: 56

High risk violations: 9

Repeat issues: 6

What inspectors found: No disinfectant test strips to monitor strength of sanitizer; sanitizer levels too high in water buckets. Raw seafood commingled. Thermometers missing in meat department and bakery coolers holding flan and tres leches cake. Heavy food debris on floors, shelves, cooler door handles. Bread with ham and cheesecake stored at room temperature. READ MORE

7. Roman Russian Food Store, 10918 S.E. Division St., Portland

Total point deductions: 55

High risk violations: 13

Repeat issues: 7

What inspectors found: Employee handling ready-to-eat smoked meats with bare hands. Eggs from unlicensed farm packaged in a licensed farm’s egg crate. Smoked fish and assorted salads in display cooler not kept cold enough. Soft cheese case not kept cold enough. An array of cooked foods were kept at room temperature: pastries stuffed with cheese, meat and cabbage; cooked sausages; cooked chicken; cooked potatoes; meat-filled crepes; rice dishes; and cooked vegetables. No food thermometer to measure internal temperature of cooked dishes. Opened packages of deli meats and salads had no date mark. Packages of house-made dumplings didn’t indicate whether they contain allergens such as wheat. No soap at one hand washing sink, and bakery hand washing sink was blocked by a table. READ MORE

Store response: “Everything has been corrected,” said Fatima Mansur, the store manager. “We’re taking it very seriously.” Mansur said the store purchased plastic curtains for its open refrigeration to better maintain refrigeration, while adding thermostats and a log where employees track temperatures. Refrigerated items are required to stay under 41 degrees. Dumplings now list allergens. “Every single person, even if they speak limited English, they know what the temperature is supposed to be,” Mansur said.

8. (tie) Tienda Santa Cruz, 8630 N. Lombard St., Portland

Total point deductions: 54

High risk violations: 11

Repeat issues: 9

What inspectors found: Raw chicken containers stored above raw pork and beef in cooler. Uncovered cooked beans left cooling on rack below wet equipment that was drying. Cooked beef and cooked pork in cooler had no date mark. No soap in hand sink. Meat slicers had visible buildup of food debris and grease. Five or six flies found alive in meat saw. READ MORE

Store response: “We take food safety seriously at Santa Cruz," the store’s owner said in a statement. "We immediately addressed the violations and had a company-wide meeting to review proper procedures. Our follow-up inspection went a lot better.”

8. (tie) Zupan’s, 2340 W. Burnside St., Portland

Total point deductions: 54

High risk violations: 10

Repeat issues: None

What inspectors found: Salads, sandwiches, quiches, salmon filets and other foods in deli display case had internal temps up to 49 degrees. Spinach and cheese croissants and ham and cheese croissants at room temperature for more than four hours. Pies, eclairs, miniature cheesecakes in display case also weren’t cold enough. Employees couldn’t say when juicer machine was last cleaned. Produce department’s sinks are inadequate for food prep. No hot water at a hand washing sink for meat section. READ MORE

Store response: “We welcome the presence of the Oregon Department of Agriculture in our stores and recognize their important position in the area of food safety,” said Eleanor Wilkinson, Zupan’s marketing director. “Zupan’s Markets considers food safety to be of the utmost importance and we are always working to adhere to the highest levels of store cleanliness and ODA standards. We have addressed each infraction with our store management teams and look forward to working with the ODA on an ongoing basis to ensure the highest standards for our customers.”

10. H Mart (Tigard), 13600 S.W. Pacific Highway, Tigard

Total point deductions: 53

High risk violations: 13

Repeat issues: 4

What inspectors found: Trays used to steam dumplings stored soiled, with wet cloth inside. No paper towels at hand washing sink. Sushi displayed at room temperature had no consume-by time on package, and no log was kept. Problems with hand washing sinks: One had no cold water and was too hot to be used; another was blocked and filled with lids; another was used for washing equipment. Raw meat stored in an uncovered bowl on the floor of a cooler. Meat department equipment, tables, and shelves had “crusty old food residue.” Onion bread in bakery is supposed to be refrigerated but was sold at room temp. Sanitizer at wrong concentration levels. READ MORE

Store response: Charlie Kim, regional office manager, said that the issues have been corrected. He said the sanitizer concentration in cleansing liquid can be thrown off by evaporation. The store uses an automatic mixing mechanism and brings in an outside company to make adjustments. He said there was an unused table and machine with dust on it and the store has since cleaned and covered it over. Kim said he is confident his employees know the rules for cleaning and for temperature maintenance. He said the store held a meeting with department managers after the inspections and discussed how to address the violations.

11. (tie) Safeway, 12032 S.E. Sunnyside Road, Clackamas

Total point deductions: 52

High risk violations: 11

Repeat issues: 4

What inspectors found: “A small piece of blue plastic, measuring approximately 1/4”, was observed in the BBQ sausages stored in the full service case. The origin of the plastic was not determined during the inspection.” A bottle of glass cleaner was stored above a counter used to prepare ready-to-eat chicken. Fried chicken, cooked teriyaki chicken and whole chickens not kept warm enough. “Beef filling” not kept cold enough. All three deli slicers “heavily soiled with cheese and meat residue” and dried grease; employees couldn’t say last time they were cleaned. Bottles of cleaning fluid for slicers were empty. Crab cakes, shrimp and other ready-to-eat seafood in display case lacked date marks. Employees said much of the seafood was in the case three or four days. “Two apparent rodent droppings” outside a walk-in cooler in bakery, plus about 40 dead cockroaches along walls of bakery, mainly in a storage room by the dishwasher. READ MORE

Store response: “Food safety and the quality of our products is the highest priority for Safeway and Albertsons,” a spokeswoman for the company said. “If issues are found during an inspection, we work quickly to correct the vast majority of the problems while the inspector is still on site. Where it isn’t possible to remediate the problem immediately, we do so as quickly as possible, and request re-inspection. Where necessary, we retrain employees on proper procedures. Additionally, we contract with a third party, Ecolab, which conducts food safety/sanitation inspections of our stores, each one, four times per year. Please note that in this instance, the inspector incorrectly identified chocolate sprinkles, commonly used in the bakery, as rodent droppings in the bakery’s freezer. You noted from the inspection that ready-to-eat seafood did not have a date. We corrected the problem immediately. Ready-to-eat seafood can be held for up to seven days. Regarding the dead insects, the store previously addressed the issue, and continues to utilize aggressive pest control, but didn’t properly remove dead insects, which were taken care of immediately upon identification. A follow-up inspection on Nov. 25, 2019, demonstrated that all issues have been corrected.”

11. (tie) Supermercado San Alejandro, 80 N. 10th Ave., Cornelius

Total point deductions: 52

High risk violations: 10

Repeat issues: 7

What inspectors found: Prepared food display case not hot enough. Prepared foods including cooked tongue, tomatoes had no date mark. Food contact surfaces were washed without sanitizer. A child was allowed in food prep area. Person in charge needed training in food temps and cleaning procedures. Cutting boards in kitchen were not cleanable due to deep scoring. Tripe sitting in a sink that drained to the sewage system. Hand washing sink in tortilla bakery was plugged and not draining water. Bakery was using powdered laundry soap for cleaning. Employee eating in bakery. READ MORE

13. (tie) Ray’s Food Place, 635 N.W. Arrowleaf Trail, Sisters

Total point deductions: 51

High risk violations: 10

Repeat issues: 6

What inspectors found: “Apparent rodent droppings observed in the cabinet to the right of the refrigerated sandwich prep table in the grilling area,” and no traps visible in deli. Foods not cold enough, including: breaded chicken in salad bar; roast beef in sandwich prep area; roast beef in deli salad case; a finished roast beef sandwich on display. Hand washing sink in deli was blocked. “Heavy buildup of brown/black sludge-type material” inside fountain drink nozzles in deli. Several items that were made or repackaged in deli didn’t list ingredients. No soap at hand washing sink in bakery’s cake-decorating area. Bits of raw meat from a meat cuber machine were found on an adjacent machine used to slice cheese and vegetables for seafood salad. READ MORE

13. (tie) Super Mercado La Montana, 1905 Mountain View Lane, #100, Forest Grove

Total point deductions: 51

High risk violations: 9

Repeat issues: 3

What inspectors found: Foil-wrapped raw chicken stored on top of cooked chicken in a cooler. Deli workers handling food without gloves. Workers handling raw meat, then clean equipment, then avocados, without washing hands in between. Raw meat stored next to and above an open container of cheese. Meat department workers, instead of changing gloves between tasks, rinsed them in sink. Hand washing sink was also used for mops, food prep, and to hold a bleach bucket. READ MORE

Grocery store at 16380 Boones Ferry Road, Lake Oswego.

15. Zupan’s Market, 16380 Boones Ferry Road, Lake Oswego

Total point deductions: 50

High risk violations: 9

Repeat issues: None

What inspectors found: Raw oysters and lobster stored above cooked crab and shrimp. Packaged foods didn’t have allergens listed. Salmon spread and crab dip kept on shelves longer than allowed. Oysters with different harvest dates commingled. No paper towels at sink. Dirty cloths wiping equipment without being stored in sanitizer solution between uses. Wild mushrooms lacked sign saying they were uninspected. Cutting boards were deeply scored. READ MORE

Store response: Zupan’s provided a list showing how it has addressed every violation. Some were fixed during the inspection. Other steps included replacing cutting boards, adding dividers to keep different meats separated, separating oysters, adding allergens to packaged seafood product labels and repairing a dishwasher.

“We welcome the presence of the Oregon Department of Agriculture in our stores and recognize their important position in the area of food safety,” said Eleanor Wilkinson, Zupan’s marketing director. “Zupan’s Markets considers food safety to be of the utmost importance and we are always working to adhere to the highest levels of store cleanliness and ODA standards. We have addressed each infraction with our store management teams and look forward to working with the ODA on an ongoing basis to ensure the highest standards for our customers.”

16. Erickson’s Thriftway, 561 S.W. Fourth St., Madras

Total point deductions: 48

High risk violations: 6

Repeat issues: 6

What inspectors found: Cutting board for making sandwiches cleaned only daily, not every four hours. Food in hot case not hot enough: fried chicken; macaroni and cheese. Deli case items including cold chicken, honey ham and bologna were not cold enough. One lunch meat package was more than a week past its use-by date. No thermometer in deli hot foods case. Deli salads, pepperoni and cotija cheese that were packed by store had no ingredient info. READ MORE

17. Terrebonne Thriftway, 8431 N. 11th St., Terrebonne

Total point deductions: 46

High risk violations: 7

Repeat issues: 10

What inspectors found: Flies in deli. Employees eating inside the deli. Dark brown greasy buildup observed on screen inserts in deli hot case, which also did not have a thermometer inside. Gravy in walk-in cooler for approximately 3.5 hours was 72 degrees. Cold barbecue chicken and fried chicken in grab-and-go food case not kept cold enough. Yellowish “protein-type residue” on meat cuber blades after cleaning. READ MORE

Store response: Bonnie Villastrigo, who owned the store for nearly 20 years, was in the process of turning it over to new owners this month. She said the store’s violations were the product of a food safety inspector she described as heavy-handed. “We try our hardest, but we cannot make the guy happy,” Villastrigo said. She said the inspector did recommend a cleanser that was more effective. But she said the inspector also gave inconsistent messages, such as telling her to buy a bug zapper and then saying she needed fly paper instead. She said she had pest control visit the store weekly and sets traps outside the store daily. “I have 20 employees,” Villastrigo said. “I have a good business.”

State response: In a statement, the department of agriculture said that the agency “routinely trains staff on inspection procedures in order to promote a consistent approach when conducting inspections across all inspectors. We take all complaints regarding our inspection processes seriously and will review this complaint.”

18. (tie) Fubonn Supermarket, 2850 S.E. 82nd Ave., Portland

Total point deductions: 45

High risk violations: 8

Repeat issues: 9

What inspectors found: Water in the dishwashing sink of food service area only heated to 87 degrees. Grease in a drain under a sink in barbecue room had flies in it. Cooked foods not kept hot enough: whole fish; a tofu dish; duck. Fridge at deli not cold enough: packaged octopus; wrapped pork. More than 40 large rat droppings by water heater and 20 droppings under shelving of food storage. Cutting boards not cleaned every four hours. Meat buildup on meat saw and grinder parts, cutting boards and knife handles. No paper towels at hand washing sink in meat cutting room. READ MORE

18. (tie) Logan’s Market, 900 S.W. 23rd St., Redmond

Total point deductions: 45

High risk violations: 10

Repeat issues: 12

What inspectors found: Two birds seen flying around inside store. “Numerous” flies observed in store, especially between fresh fruit display and meat case near store entrance. Turkey lunch meat at deli counter was a day past its marked date. Turkey at sandwich prep table not kept cold enough. Deli sandwiches and wraps didn’t have ingredient labels. Metal trays put away as clean in deli had food debris and “mineral type buildup.” Slime and mineral buildup on produce wet rack. Soap dispenser at hand washing sink for meat cutting room didn’t work. READ MORE

Store response: ”Obviously, that was not a good inspection, and that’s not something we strive for,” said Logan Hamilton, president of the store’s corporate owner. He said employees correct any problems immediately, and inspectors return to make sure fixes are made. Logan’s also brings in an outside company to perform inspections on the store. Hamilton said the company looks to food safety inspectors “as a partner of ours to help us do things better” and has never received a report of an illness.

18. (tie) San Juan Supermarket, 1991 N.E. Cornell Road, Hillsboro

Total point deductions: 45

High risk violations: 11

Repeat issues: 4

What inspectors found: Prepared foods in walk-in cooler not cold enough: refried beans; rice; cooked chicken. Food probe thermometer was off by 21 degrees. Person in charge lacked food safety training. Packaged juices that were made in-house had no labeling. A hand washing sink was blocked by two large cans of baking ingredients. Fruit cups prepared using a cutting board that was propped on a trash can. READ MORE

Grocery store at 970 S.E. Oak St., Hillsboro.

18. (tie) Supermercados Mexico, 970 S.E. Oak St., Hillsboro

Total point deductions: 45

High risk violations: 10

Repeat issues: 4

What inspectors found: Raw marinated pork was at an unsafe temperature. Prepared salsas, queso and salads for sale in deli not date-marked. Meat workers not washing hands between cutting chicken, dispensing tripe and cutting fish. Meat saw and slicer not cleaned every four hours. Sheet pan cheesecake not refrigerated. No measurable sanitizer found in bakery sink or bleach bucket. READ MORE

— Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com

503.294.7657; @robwdavis

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