Market Central quickly cleared roaches after Health Department report

During an inspection on Sept. 16, 2011, the Allegheny County Health Department found several… During an inspection on Sept. 16, 2011, the Allegheny County Health Department found several roaches in Market Central.

Pitt insists it was not a big deal. After the department’s third inspection one month later, it did not find any more evidence of roaches.

Guillermo Cole, public information officer for the Allegheny County Health Department, said the department received an anonymous complaint on Sept. 13, 2011, alleging a roach infestation in Market Central.

The department conducted an inspection on Sept. 16 and found both live and dead roaches, Cole said. None of the roaches were on food surfaces.

The report states the department found “several large roaches in bakery area near gas line, behind the large oven, in soda syrup room near office, under fruit storage shelf and near dish room back entrance.”

When the department returned on Sept. 23 to conduct a second inspection, it found “two baby cockroaches in cut room near sink pot” and one along the wall, the report said.

Cole said the department found “considerable improvement.” He also said an exterminator was present during the inspection who would be on the premises every day until the problem was rectified.

When the department returned for a third inspection on Oct. 19, it marked pest control as “satisfactory.”

“We found absolutely no evidence of any [roach] activity,” Cole said.

Pitt spokesman John Fedele said that roaches are “something that all food service providers are constantly on alert for.”

After the department found the roaches, an exterminator came out seven days a week for six weeks until the roaches were gone, Fedele said.

“[Roaches] are not that uncommon, and we did take immediate steps,” he said, stressing that roaches are found in many eateries.

Cole said that while it isn’t unheard of to see roaches in some food facilities, the problem needs to immediately be addressed whenever its found.

“It can’t be accepted and tolerated on a continuing basis,” he said.

When the department does find roaches, Cole said it cites the operator of the facility and tells them to clean the facility and take the necessary steps to eliminate the problem.

“It’s not something we walk away from,” he said, noting that the department wants to prevent contamination of food from roaches, which could lead to illness.

“Normally we don’t find [roaches],” he said. “But it’s not unusual for particular facilities to have a problem at one time in its history.”

Cole said for facilities like Market Central that serve a large volume of people, the department usually conducts routine inspections twice a year, roughly six months apart. He did not know the date of the next inspection but said it’s probably “pretty close.”