The Pittsburgh Popcorn company’s kitchen at 2400 Josephine Street was issued a consumer alert by The Allegheny County Health Department after an inspection found numerous food safety violations and rodent droppings throughout the facility. ACHD’s Food Safety Assessment Report spanned five pages and outlined more failures than passes upon review.
The inspection, conducted on 4 December 2024, uncovered multiple high-risk violations:
- Rodent Infestation: Inspectors found evidence of rodents throughout the facility, including gnawed food products, droppings on food preparation surfaces, and even a live mouse in the storage area.
- Hygiene Failures: Staff were observed eating in food preparation areas, with one instance involving used chewing tobacco left on a production table.
- Sanitization Issues: Equipment, including popcorn machines, showed significant grease and food residue. Staff failed to follow proper sanitization protocols during cleaning procedures.
Additional violations included inadequate handwashing facilities, overflowing dumpsters, poor ventilation, and signs of structural neglect, such as sticky floors and water-stained ceilings.
The entire inspection report can be read here.