Berry Yogurt Violations Not Food-Related but Issues Must be Addressed

The Foxborough Board of Health voiced several concerns regarding operational issues at Berry Yogurt to the frozen yogurt shop’s manager, Mimi Tran, at a recent BOH meeting.

The board’s chair, Paul Steeves, told Foxborough Patch none of the food code violations found at the Patriot Place frozen yogurt shop were food related and while he didn’t want to make a big deal of the violations, explained the board did express several concerns to Tran that need to be addressed within 30 days.

“We did three inspections,” Steeves said. “Once in July when they opened, one in August and one just recently and they still had some [operational] violations like [documentation for shatterproof] light bulbs and [the need for an employee training booklet and a sneeze guard]. … They were apologetic and I don’t want to make a big deal out of it but [it needs to be addressed].”

The board instructed Tran to address the following issues immediately and be on notice that another inspection will occur in 30 to 45 days:

• Provide proper documentation for shatterproof light bulbs
• Install sneeze guard
• Keep cleaning supplies away from food items
• Do not allow new employees to be alone until properly trained
• Make sure nothing is on the floor
• Have a training session once a week
• Make a binder and keep an employee training booklet
• Have each employee read the training manual and take a test afterwards

Tran told the board training her staff has been difficult because her five employees are new and this is their first job, according to minutes from the Oct. 15 meeting.

Tran said she held a store meeting to explain all procedures to her business leaders, who were then expected to tell her employees.

As for the sneeze guard, Tran told the board she had ordered the guard but the original didn’t fit the store and she was waiting on the replacement to come in. She added that she had spoken to her contractor prior to the Oct. 15 meeting and he told her the sneeze shields would be installed on Oct. 16.

Steeves said the board attributed most of their concerns to this being a start-up business and Tran’s first venture.

“They are new at this … this is her first business,” Steeves said of Tran. “She’s got to go find other places similar to her who have a training booklet and maybe hire a training professional to train her staff. … We asked her to draw out a training program and meet with her employees and to look at other yogurt companies to see if there is a template [that can be used].”

Steeves said Berry Yogurt will pay the re-inspection fee and the Board of Health is expected to re-inspect within 30 days. If these issues have not been addressed following that re-inspection than the frozen yogurt shop may face harsher consequences.

“If after that re-inspection there is another list like [the board] has seen with the past three inspections they will shut Berry Yogurt down,” according to the Oct. 15 meeting minutes.