Inspectors discover an unheard-of 13 violations in the Mar-a-Lago kitchen
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When you pay $200,000 in initiation fees to join an elite club, you do so under the assumption that the meals at the establishment will not give you food poisoning. Nevertheless, health inspectors at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate discovered an eye-popping 13 separate food violations in the club's kitchen, The Miami Herald reports, ranging from two broken-down coolers to a potentially parasitic fish.
Meat at the Winter White House was stored at dangerously high temperatures — conditions that can easily foster bacteria. Ham, for example, was stored at a whopping 57 degrees. Duck and raw beef were kept at 50 degrees, and chicken at 49 degrees. The maximum allowable temperature for raw meat is 41 degrees.
Fish that was intended to be served undercooked had not been properly treated for parasites, the inspectors also learned, and the staff in the kitchen was commanded to either immediately cook it or throw it away. The inspectors also found that the sink where employees washed their hands was too cold to properly sanitize them and the walk-in coolers had rusty shelves.
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Trump often shares meals with foreign leaders at Mar-a-Lago, most recently having enjoyed a slice of beautiful cake with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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