HARRISBURG, Pa. — The cafeteria in Pennsylvania’s Capitol was shut down and workers scoured the facility Friday after health inspectors found evidence of a rodent infestation and dishwashing water that wasn’t hot enough.
The ground-floor cafeteria, a popular coffee and lunch spot for visitors to the statehouse and people who work there, was closed Thursday after state Department of Agriculture officials made an unannounced inspection.
“There were mouse droppings around the facility too numerous to mention,” a spokesman for the state Agriculture Department said.
The droppings, which indicate the presence of live mice, are considered an imminent health risk, he said. A leak that prevented the water in dishwashers from becoming hot enough to sterilize plates and utensils also was considered an imminent threat, he said.
The cafeteria had not been inspected for “at least a couple years,” Fleming said.
Aramark Corp., the Philadelphia-based food service company that runs the cafeteria, voluntarily closed it at the request of state inspectors, which is common procedure, he said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
