At Some Ditmas Park Markets, A Grocery List of Health Issues

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For those who call Ditmas Park home, the good news is the bulk of local markets, groceries, delis and convenience stores are clean by state health standards.

The bad news? As many as nine businesses in the area are not.

According to inspections performed by the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets in the area, nine Ditmas Park businesses have one or more critical violations deemed hazardous to shoppers.

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At the top of the list stood Natural Frontier Market at 1102 Cortelyou Rd. During a Dec. 16, 2012 inspection, inspectors found two critical deficiencies that were "an immediate threat to the public health and welfare." 

Those critical deficiencies included a lack of hot water in the juice preparation handwash sink area. The temperature at the cold water tap was 60 degrees, and inspectors observed an employee using two bay sinks to wash vegetables to make juices. 

The cutting board in the juice preparation area was also found to have a build up of dark grime and knife marks across its surface.

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But Natural Frontier's manager, Suraj Shrestsa, said customers should rest assured that all issues inspectors found have been corrected. 

"They've already been fixed," Shrestsa told Patch. "The inspector came yesterday [March 19] and everything is in order." 

During an Oct. 11 inspection, two critical deficiencies were noted at Mazedar Halal Deli & Grill, located at 671 Coney Island Ave., where inspectors found between 10 and 20 "fresh appearing" mouse droppings on the floor of a bathroom next to the deli area. More fresh mouse droppings were found on the floor in the deli area behind the display cooler. 

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An employee who answered the phone at the store would not comment on the violations. 

Pimentel Grocery Store, located at 1223 Church Ave., earned a critical deficiency during an Oct. 14 inspection for a 14 pound container of popcorn that was infested with moths and other residue. The popcorn was destroyed during the inspection. 

Six other shops in Ditmas Park each received one critical deficiency during recent inspections, including: Pak Grocery Store, Productos Mex Universa, Sacred Vibes, MJP Deli & Grocery, Victoria Grocery and Z Mart.

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For Ditmas Park Patch, data was collected on 127 markets in the area, ranging from major chain supermarkets to pharmacies and bodegas.