Health Inspectors Cite Sammamish Farmers Market Vendor for Poor Hygiene

Health inspectors blocked a Sammamish Farmers Market vendor from offering samples of fresh fruit to customers on Wednesday after they found the fruit sellers weren't washing their hands.

The sampling portion of the Calhoun Family Fruit at the Sammamish Farmers Market was closed on July 17 at 4 p.m. by Public Health - Seattle & King County.

The health department says an inspector found the following problems during a visit yesterday:

    •    Poor personal hygiene practices (not washing hands); and
    •    Handwashing facilities unavailable

The state Department of Health recently increased the requirements for hot water supply at both the central location of the Market and at individual vendor booths. Currently, vendors offering samples must maintain a hand-washing station at their booth with a 5-gallon jug holding water at 100F or hotter, a running spigot, a catch-basin for waste water, hand soap and paper towels.

Under updated rules, hot water supply for hand washing stations must be available at individual vendor booths and at the public restroom facility.

According to the local health department, Calhoun Family Fruit, a family-run fruit orchard out of Wapato, is still permitted to sell food that are exempt from permit.

The sampling portion of the business will be allowed once the inspector confirms that all issues have been resolved.

The Food Establishment Closures homepage is online at www.kingcounty.gov/health/closures.

Patch will update this post when the vendor is allowed to resume offering samples.