Truck stopped on I-70 loaded with food at unsafe temperature

Friday, September 14, 2012
With assistance from Putnam County Health Department Inspector Darrell Brackney (left), Indiana State Police Master Troopers Matt Ames and Kent Winstead investigate the food inside a delivery truck stopped at the 37-mile marker of Interstate 70 in Putnam County. (Indiana State Police photo)

CLOVERDALE -- A refrigerated box delivery truck, stopped for routine inspection along Interstate 70, was discovered transporting food at unsafe temperatures Thursday morning.

Master Trooper Kent Winstead, an Indiana State Police commercial vehicle enforcement officer, stopped a 2005 Mitsubishi refrigerated box truck on westbound Interstate 70, near the 37-mile marker.

During an inspection that followed the 9:13 a.m. stop, the refrigerator unit of the truck was found not operating, resulting in 60 dozen eggs and 60 pounds of cream cheese being transported at temperatures of 57 degrees, above the State of Indiana food transportation safety limits.

The Putnam County Health Department was contacted and investigator Darrell Brackney assisted the ISP units at the scene, about four miles west of Cloverdale.

The eggs and cream cheese on board were confiscated and destroyed via a garbage disposal facility. The remaining non-perishable items, including cooking oils and vegetables, were not confiscated.

Temperatures for eggs are required to be at 45 degrees or below and cream cheese must be 41 degrees or below.

The driver, Dong Xie, 39, of San Gabriel, Calif., was cited as a non-English speaking commercial driver and operating a vehicle transporting food, not in compliance with Health Department rules for food transportation, both infraction violations.

The driver was placed out of service. Arrangements for another driver were made.

The load originated in Cincinnati under the name of Eternal Trading Co. and was bound for Asian-style restaurant stops in Terre Haute and Attica, as well as Charleston and Danville, Ill.

Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers are issued Sixth Sense brand infrared thermometers, model LT 300, for checking food temperatures.

Assisting at the scene were Indiana State Police Master Trooper Matt Ames, ISP Sgt. Joe Watts, and Putnam County Health Department Investigator Brackney.

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  • No more crab rangoons for me

    -- Posted by killintime on Fri, Sep 14, 2012, at 8:00 AM
  • Or egg drop soup. I'd like to know WHAT restaurants were to receive these goods .. makes you wonder if they'd have accepted them as is.

    Enough to make me swear off Asian food.

    Good job, ISPD.

    -- Posted by Emmes on Fri, Sep 14, 2012, at 11:51 AM
  • *

    Make sure he is registered to vote here in Putnam County!

    -- Posted by ridgerunner54 on Fri, Sep 14, 2012, at 4:25 PM
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