A dessert shop in Richmond’s food district was shut down on Tuesday for its unsanitary premises and practices.
A routine inspection of Fujiwara Tofu Shop on Alexandra Road conducted by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) revealed five critical infractions that led to a closure order.
According to the Sept. 26 inspection report, the premises had signs of rodent infestation, and food, utensils and equipment were not handled in a sanitary manner and were at risk of contamination.
Handwashing stations were also not properly maintained.
It also revealed three non-critical infractions including failing to display the permit to operate in a conspicuous location, failing to establish procedures to prevent health hazards and failing to follow procedures in the sanitation plan.
The VCH closure order displayed outside the shop includes instructions for Fujiwara Tofu Shop to clean its premises and equipment, discard all prepared food, hire pest control and store all food items in pest-proof containers.
This was not the first instance pest activity was found in the dessert joint.
A routine inspection of the dessert joint conducted in January 2022 found rodent activity on the premises as well, which remained an issue in three subsequent follow-up inspections.
Fujiwara Tofu Shop will remain closed until VCH allows it to reopen.
