Ithaca College’s Grand Central Café and 13 other eating establishments in Ithaca were cited for health violations in a report from the Tompkins County Health Department in October.

The report said potentially hazardous foods at Grand Central Café were not kept at 45 degrees or below. Specifically, inspectors observed 10 to 12 individual cream cheese packages, which were later discarded during the inspection, at 53 to 61 degrees.

Carol Chase, a senior public health sanitarian at the Tompkins County Health Department said Grand Central Café was inspected Oct. 25 and a re-inspection has not yet been completed.

Chase said the number of inspections a year is based on the three categories of risk.

“Our facilities are categorized by risk, [meaning] the amount of food preparation that occurs in the facility, how many times the food goes through the temperature danger zone and what the public health risk is.”

As a low-risk eating establishment, Grand Central Café is inspected one to two times every year. In 2009, Grand Central faced similar violations when cream cheese was reported to be between 48 and 60 degrees.

Chase said not keeping hazardous foods at or below 45 degrees poses a public health risk.

“We know that between 45 and 140 degrees bacteria will grow,” Chase said. “Bacteria especially peaks and will multiply exponentially over a length of time.”

The report also cites food violations from Collegetown Bagels East Hill, where milk was observed at 50 degrees.

Chase said the health department recommends eating establishments monitor all food temperatures throughout the day.

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