Unsafe croquetas and empanadas plus dirty equipment cited at a Vecky’s Bakery

Business admin July 22, 2026 0 Comments

Unsafe croquetas and empanadas plus dirty equipment cited at a Vecky’s Bakery

Whether you were suffering from World Cup hangover or just the start of the work week, you likely had a better Monday than Vecky Bakery — Vecky Bakery, not Vicky Bakery — did when state inspectors visited.

The guests from the state left after Pembroke Pines Vecky Bakery location received a “Re-Inspection Required” result, which is the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services term for a failed inspection.

Bakeries don’t close when they fail state inspection as restaurants do. Restaurants are inspected by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Bakeries, like grocery-sellers and food processors, are inspected by the Ag Department. FDACS inspectors don’t have shut down power, but can drop Stop Use Orders on areas and equipment.

That power came into play when Inspectors Scott House and Wenndy Ayerdis dropped by 17537 Pines Blvd. on Monday.

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Here are some highlights from the inspection report.

“The person in charge at the time of the inspection could not answer questions that relate to foodborne illness.”

“Multiple knives were stored between the plastic separation and the shelf on a rack at the decorators’ station.”

There was “dried food built up on the burner, fryer mixers and the dough sheet machine.”

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In the processing area, the deli slicer had “dried food buildup on the blade, blade guard and the slide,” the mixer had “dried food buildup on the arm above the mixing bowl” and “the piercing blade of table-mounted can opener.” Stop Use Orders took the slicer and mixer out of action until they were cleaned and sanitized.

Processing area “pans and sheet trays had soil and black grease buildup on the bottom and the sides.”

A food service worker left the sandwich prep station, came back to make a pressed sandwich and didn’t wash hands before putting on gloves to deal with the unpackaged sandwich.

In the processing area, the inspectors spotted “soil buildup on walls behind the prep tables, and on the doors and handles of the walk-in cooler and freezer.”

All paths to handwash sinks must be clear. The handwash sink in the processing area near the ware wash sink was blocked by a trash can and rolling rack.

“Multiple fruit flies” hovered at the processing area’s ware wash sink and decorator’s table. This, despite an “electric bug attraction device hanging on a shelf directly above the microwave and a prep table at the kitchen’s entrance.

One employee wasn’t “effectively restraining hair at time of processing and service.”

“In use wet wiping cloths were stored directly on the counter at the espresso station and not in sanitizer.”

The hot counter cabinet’s lights weren’t shielded and “appear not to be shatterproof.”

The hot unit holding croquetas and empanadas measured 120 degrees. Not hot enough when your one job is to keep the temperature at least 135 degrees.

With the hot holding unit too cool in a bad way, seven and a half pans of croquetas, empanadas and ham and cheese sandwiches measured 71 degrees to 94 degrees. Stop Sales rained on this food. Basura.

“Single service juice cups were washed in the warewash sink at the service counter.” What’s wrong with that? Well, there’s a reason they’re called “single service juice cups” — use them once, then lose them in the trash, just like plastic single service utensils you get at Chipotle or Wendy’s.