At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
80/ 100 · 20 points taken off
6 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Jun 15, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Vons Saratoga got more than most.
Compared with 9,600 Santa Clara County food places. Each place's last routine inspection counts.
What was found out about Vons Saratoga?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- Marked critical: Time as a control not marked or logged K08How to fixFix it
- Hot food below 135°F K07How to fixFix it
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right K14How to fixFix it
Source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
We review Santa Clara County health data to make this report. We are not the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health.
Visit them directly at deh.santaclaracounty.gov (opens the department's site) · How we review
For Vons Saratoga's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Vons Saratoga. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Vons Saratoga first; we check that you run it.
Your whole team can help. Each person gets one next step, and everyone can see what's done.
This is my place: claim Vons SaratogaWe'll help you get every item done. You don't have to do it alone.
We know an inspection can feel heavy, especially when it's busy.
Fix it together
Follow the steps for each item, with the rule beside it.
Next: Time as a control not marked or loggedThe county found: “Fried chicken are subject to time as a public health control but are not properly time-marked. The old time-markings…”
First step: The 4-hour option
Then the next one: Hot food below 135°F
Log it
Your team logs the fix on their phones, with the time and who did it.
Show what you did
Saying what you fixed, in your own words, builds trust. Families and regulars respect a kitchen that owns it and fixes it.
Each fix step comes from the rule it names: Food Code 3-501.19, Food Code 4-603.16, Food Code 4-301.12, Food Code 3-305.11.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Time as a control not marked or logged
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 4 done
The 4-hour option
From Food Code 3-501.19
Logged
That's one done. We'll be here for the next.
What people see now
Today, people see the department's words and nothing from you.
What people see after you fix and log it
Example reply
CleanCleaverBusiness reply
Your business replied to this with the public statement:
We fixed this the same day. Now our team logs it on their phones at open and close.
The date of your reply
This is not an official update to the health inspection report. The county's record is unchanged.
Most kitchens get something cited at some point. What people remember is that you fixed it.
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Replies are part of a paid plan. We read each one before it goes up. You can take it down any time. Only the department can change its record.
Do you work there, and someone else owns it? I work there
What people see next
Under each item here, people see what you fixed, in your words.
Left alone, or fixed together
Left alone, the same items can come back at the next inspection. Fixed together, they're done.
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Inspections
From County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health · 3 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 6, 2026
The county visited once in the last 12 months (1 routine).
Every visit
LatestJun 15, 2026Routine inspection80 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 80 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Jun 15, 2026.
6 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
Time as a control not marked or logged
The department's words
K08 Time as a public health control; procedures & records
Fried chicken are subject to time as a public health control but are not properly time-marked. The old time-markings were not removed and the new batch of chicken were not time-marked. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods that are subject to time rather than temperature shall be properly time-marked with the start/end of a 4 hour period where it shall be discarded if not used or served. [COS] Employee time-marked the chicken with the correct time.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Food Code 3-501.19
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
The 4-hour option
- Start with food at 41°F or below, or 135°F or above.
- Mark the container with the discard time: 4 hours after it left temperature control.
- Cook and serve, serve, or throw it out by that time.
- Throw out any container with no time marked.
From Food Code 3-501.19
The 6-hour option (cold food only)
2 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Time as a public health control (the 4-hour rule)
The full guide has 2 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Vons Saratoga? Fix it
Not critical (5)
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Raw shell eggs are over stacked in the food prep unit insert and measured at 48F. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods when cold holding shall be held at or below 41F. Do not over stacked potentially hazardous foods over the fill line when using the prep unit insert. [COS] Employee relocated the over stacked eggs into the walk-in cooler.
Food Code 3-501.16(A)(1)
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
If food is out of range
- Hot food below 135°F for less than 2 hours: reheat to 165°F.
- Cold food above 41°F for less than 2 hours: chill it right away.
- Unknown time or longer: throw it out.
Which foods need temperature control (TCS)
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Hot and cold holding
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Vons Saratoga? Fix it
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Quat sanitizer at the three compartment sink was measured at 100 ppm. [CA] Manual sanitization shall be accomplished in the final sanitizing rinse by contacting a chlorine solution of 100 PPM concentration for at least 30 seconds or by contacting a quaternary ammonium solution of 200 PPM concentration for at least 60 seconds. [COS] Employee was observed diluting sanitizer from dispenser with water. Discussed and worked with employee that the solution coming from the dispenser is already mixed and diluted to the appropriate concentration.
Food Code 4-602.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Clean first, then sanitize
- 1. Scrape off food.
- 2. Wash with detergent and warm water.
- 3. Rinse off the soap (soap weakens sanitizer).
From Food Code 4-603.16
When to clean food-contact surfaces
4 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Cleaning vs sanitizing, and sanitizer strengths
The full guide has 4 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Vons Saratoga? Fix it
Dish sink or dish machine not set up right
The department's words
K34 Warewash facilities: installed/maintained; test strips
Means for adequately measuring the applicable sanitization method are not readily available. Test strips that operator had available were expired did not react to the sanitizer solution. [CA] Means for adequately measuring the applicable sanitization method must be readily available (ex. Sanitizer test strips, thermal strips).
Food Code 4-301.12
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Set up
- 1. Wash your hands at the hand sink (never at this sink).
- 2. Clean and sanitize all three sinks and both drainboards.
- 3. Sink 1 (WASH): detergent and water at 110°F or hotter.
From Food Code 4-301.12
Washing, step by step
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
The three-compartment sink, step by step
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Vons Saratoga? Fix it
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Container of radish observed stored on the floor inside the walk-in cooler. [CA] Food shall be stored a minimum of 6 inches off the floor.
Food Code 3-305.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Where food may never be stored
- Keep food at least 6 inches off the floor.
- Never in restrooms, locker or dressing rooms, garbage rooms, or mechanical rooms (furnace, water heater, electrical).
- Never under stairs, or under sewer lines, leaking water lines or fire sprinkler lines.
From Food Code 3-305.11
Top to bottom
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Fridge and freezer storage order
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Vons Saratoga? Fix it
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Inside the walk-in cooler, observed raw chicken stored above ready-to-eat foods including beverages. [CA] Store raw chicken separate or below ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross contamination.
Food Code 3-302.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Top to bottom
- 1. Top: ready-to-eat food (salads, desserts, cut fruit, cooked leftovers, deli meat, cheese, drinks)
- 2. Raw fish and seafood (cooked to 145°F)
- 3. Whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb; raw shell eggs (145°F)
From Food Code 3-302.11
Keep raw meat types apart
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Fridge and freezer storage order
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Vons Saratoga? Fix it
EarlierJul 28, 2025Routine inspection87 out of 100 (Green placard)
5 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (5)
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Raw chicken stored above ready-to-eat foods inside the walk-in cooler. [CA] Store raw food items separately or below ready-to-eat foods.
Thermometer missing or reading wrong
The department's words
K39 Thermometers provided, accurate
Lack or accurate thermometers inside refrigeration units. [CA] A thermometer +/- 2°F shall be provided and correctly located in each hot and cold holding unit containing potentially hazardous foods.
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Green mold-like substance observed on the inside panels of the ice machine. [CA] Frequently clean and sanitize the inside panels of the ice machine.
The department's words
K05 Hands clean, properly washed; gloves used properly
Employee observed switching tasks from working at the three compartment sink back to the cook line without washing their hands. [CA] Employee shall properly wash their hands when changing tasks and prior to handling food. [COS] Employee was stopped and instructed to properly wash hands before contaminating food or food contact surfaces.
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Potentially hazardous foods measured at improper cold holding temperatures. In the food prep unit inserts, raw shell eggs and cheese balls were measured at 48-49F. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods when cold holding shall be held at or below 41F.
EarlierMar 6, 2025Routine inspection85 out of 100 (Green placard)
4 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K05 Hands clean, properly washed; gloves used properly
Employee observed handling raw chicken with their bare hands then wiped hands using a towel and proceeded to put on disposable gloves to handle food. [CA] After handling raw foods, employees shall properly wash hands using warm water, soap, and single-use paper towels prior to putting on disposable gloves or handling other foods. [COS] Employee was stopped and told to properly wash hands. Employee removed the towel used to wipe hands.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (3)
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
Potentially hazardous foods (chicken wings and rice) that are cooling are fully covered with a lid inside the reach-in cooler. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods that are subject to cooling shall be kept uncovered or loosely covered to help facilitate rapid cooling.
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Observed raw chicken inside the reach-in cooler and walk-in cooler, stored on shelf above ready-to-eat foods (cooked rice, produce). [CA] Raw food items shall be stored separate or below ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination.
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
Wiping towels are observed used, reused, and stored on food prep surfaces. [CA] Wiping towels shall be stored in sanitizing solution of an approved concentration when not in use (100 ppm - chlorine, 200 ppm - quaternary ammonium).
Source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health. This is the department's data, not CleanCleaver's. See the department's full record (opens the department's site)
What you can do
As a customer of Vons Saratoga, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Time as a control not marked or logged Read the free guide
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right Read the free guide
- Dish sink or dish machine not set up right Read the free guide
- Food on the floor or under drips Read the free guide
- Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food Read the free guide
Call Vons Saratoga
Ask for the manager. Vons Saratoga can only fix what it knows about.
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Complain directly to the health department
We are not the health department. You can report to them on their site. Report to County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health (opens the department's site)
When regulars speak up kindly and kitchens fix things, the whole neighborhood eats well. Now you know what the inspector found, and what you can do about it.
Do you work at or run Vons Saratoga?
See the plan to fix each item and show what you did.
Address thisAbout this record
Opens the county's own page for this place.
Most people don't know what a normal result looks like for a place that's open every day. The ranges use each place's last routine inspection in this area. No other county is mixed in.
100 means the inspector found no problems. Santa Clara County takes points off for each problem. Big ones take off more.
The county posts a green, yellow or red placard after each inspection, and gives routine inspections a score. In the county's data, a routine inspection with no violations listed scored 100, and the score drops as violations are found. The county's page does not say which scores or findings give each color: ask the department.
- Inspection type
- Routine inspection
- Result
- 80 out of 100 (Green placard)
- Source
- County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
This is not an official ranking or grade. See the official source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health (opens the department's site) .
Information on this page may be out of date. Check the original source to confirm.