Despite some problems, Mexican restaurant passes food safety test

A Mexican restaurant in the Cy-Fair area recently passed its regular
inspection by Harris County public health officials, though some
problems were observed.

Antonio Taqueria, located at 14512 West Road, received its regular
inspection on Jan. 31. County staff gave the restaurant seven demerits
out of a possible 100. An establishment must earn 20 demerits to be
considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit.

According to the inspectors, the taqueria earned demerits for a "cross-contamination"
violation, which either means serving one customer's
unserved food to another or keeping raw animal products too close to
ready-to-eat raw or cooked food. Problems with the storage and
labeling of toxic items also were observed, though neither of these
problems were among the types most commonly associated with the spread
of food-borne illnesses by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.

This inspection is on par with Antonio Taqueria's previous
health exams. The restaurant earned eight demerits on Sept. 10, 2010,
though it recorded a perfect score on a follow-up examination.
Inspectors gave it seven demerits in June 2010, and in March 2010 they
observed evidence of insect contamination, when the restaurant was
only given three demerits.

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