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Was your favourite eatery closed for health violations?

SURREY - Thirty-six Surrey restaurants were closed at one point or another last year after they were found to have violated health codes. That number is up 16 from 2013, during which 20 restaurants were ordered closed.

The most common violation amongst the restaurants were related to hygiene, with many being closed down for not being maintained in a sanitary condition, or failure to ensure utensils or surfaces are maintained in a sanitary manner.Fourteen of the restaurants were cited to have pest problems and one restaurant, Bukjang Korean Restaurant, was cited for a "failure to ensure the food was obtained from approved sources."Inderjeet Gill, manager in health protection at Fraser Health said that restaurant in particular had been sourcing eggs that were cracked, soiled and feathered and remains closed after having their permit revoked."This was an ongoing issue with them," explained Gill. "Those aren't the type of eggs you'd find at your local approved store."Some restaurants on the list had more violations than others, with the Guildford White Spot coming in at the top with nine health code violations.That restaurant's violations range from food not being stored at adequate temperatures, food not being protected from contamination and hygiene concerns. The report also notes that the restaurant was not being kept free of pests and was shutdown from Sept. 2 to 3 as a result.Bill Senghera, business consultant and risk manager for White Spot, said the closure was a first in the company's historyand called the incident "a very, very rare occurrence.""We've been in business for over 85 years and never been forced to close as a result of any health or safety inspection and we are proud of our high food and safety standards," he said.Senghera said the day in question, Sept. 2, was "a perfect storm" of issues at the restaurant, which began with equipment breaking down.Other Surrey restaurants with several health code violations included Mughal Gardens Banquet Hall, Non Stop Pizza and Vancouver Veggie Pizza #2. Two of these restaurants also had pest issues and all were cited for concerns of sanitary conditions. The majority of restaurants ordered closed were re-opened days later, after they made satisfactory changes.Fraser Health regularly posts all health code violations and restaurant closures online and Gill encourages all restaurantgoers to lookup a restaurant's inspection report before visiting.To view restaurant inspection reports and the list of closures, go to Fraserhealth. ca/your_environment/food_safety.cpoon@thenownewspaper.com