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File phot. (By: Godong/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
MILPITAS, Calif. – A Milpitas pho restaurant was ordered closed after a video circulated on social media showing an employee slamming frozen slabs of short ribs on the ground behind the restaurant.
The video, posted on TikTok and Reddit, showed an employee of Pho Love, located at 55 N. Milpitas Blvd., in an alleyway behind the restaurant. The worker was seen hurling racks of ribs onto what appeared to be a piece of cardboard on the ground. The meat appeared to touch the concrete several times and a nearby mop bucket.
Health department steps in
A complaint was filed with the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, which sent an inspector to Pho Love on Thursday to investigate.
At the restaurant, the inspector found the same employee seen in the video, which was recorded on Tuesday. The worker said they were trying to thaw the meat by throwing it on the ground, according to the official inspection report. The employee said it was a one-time occurrence and that they went outside because there was no space on the food prep counter.
“When they realized that the meat was falling out of the package and onto the ground, they saw that the meat had become contaminated, and immediately discarded all of the meat,” the report stated.
The employee told the inspector the short ribs seen in the video were not cooked or served to customers.
Multiple violations found
In addition to the unsanitary handling of food, the inspector found other violations, including improper food storage and cleaning practices. Employees did not have state-required food handler cards, and the inspector saw a live roach.
The inspector also observed an employee wash their hands without using soap.
Restaurant ordered cloase
As a result, the restaurant was temporarily ordered closed and must follow up with the county by Nov. 28. Pho Love cannot reopen until the major violations are corrected and a follow-up inspection is completed.
The Source: Information for this story comes from the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health.