When the health division visited night public schools in Andover last month, all but three — Andover High School, South Elementary School and Shawsheen Preschool — were violating a local bylaw aimed at reducing plastic waste.
In 2018, Andover Town Meeting passed a bylaw banning places that serve food from using plastic utensils, bags and other products made from non-compostable, non-biodegradable materials, and the Town began enforcing the new regulations in March 2019.
But health inspectors found utensils, cups and containers violating the rules at Bancroft, High Plain, Sanborn, and West Elementary Schools, as well as Wood Hill and West Middle Schools. Doherty and Wood Hill Middle Schools were not inspected last month. The Andover Senior Center was also using non-compliant plastic when inspectors popped in on Oct. 23.
Andover News has asked Andover Public Schools and the senior center for comment and will update this story if they respond.
The health division visited all 10 APS schools in February. At that time, only High Plain Elementary/Wood Hill Middle, Sanborn Elementary School, and Shawsheen Preschool were using plastics that did not comply with the local bylaw.
The Andover Health Division regularly inspects restaurants, stores, schools, and other establishments that serve and sell food. Andover News reviewed reports from health inspections conducted during the month of October.
Andover News publishes food service inspection reports monthly. It’s important to note it’s not unusual for a restaurant to have a few minor infractions in a report.
Click on the links in the summaries below to see the full Andover Health Division inspection report. The reports below are broken into four categories: restaurants, stores, schools, and other establishments, which can include schools, daycare centers, nursing homes, hotels and other facilities that serve food.
Jump to a Section:
Restaurants
The Sausage Guy, food truck, on Oct. 12
Areas where establishment was out of compliance:
- Burner knobs broken, no knobs present
Tokyo Steak House, 560 South Main Street, on Oct. 20
Areas where establishment was out of compliance:
Stores
No inspections in October.
Schools & Daycare
Andover High School, 80-100 Shawsheen Road, on Oct. 17
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- None.
Bancroft Elementary School, 15 Bancroft Road, on Oct. 11
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- Non-compliant plastic utensils and plastic cups for water
High Plain Elementary/Wood Hill Middle Schools, 333 High Plain Road/11 Cross Street, on Oct. 18
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- Rodent droppings in dry storage area under moving food racks
- Non-complaint plastic straws and utensils
Sanborn Elementary School, 90 Lovejoy Road, on Oct. 11
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- Non-compliant plastic utensils
Shawsheen Preschool, 18 Magnolia Avenue, on Oct. 17
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- None.
South Elementary High School, 55 Woburn Street, on Oct. 18
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- Stripping at the entrance of walk in refrigerator is worn and rusted
West Elementary School, 60 Beacon Street, on Oct. 17
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- Non-compliant plastic utensils at exit of serving line
West Middle School, 70 Shawsheen Road, on Oct. 13
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- New pizza oven not working
- Observed multiple double door refrigerators not working, just being stored in kitchen
- Non-compliant 2 oz containers holding marinara sauce and non-compliant plastic utensils
Other Establishments
Andover Senior Center, 36 Bartlet Street, on Oct. 23
Areas where establishment was out of compliance:
- Expiration date issues
- Rodent droppings behind cookline, warewashing area, dry storage area and at back entrance
- Non-compliant plastic utensils, straws and coffee cup lids
Marland Place, 15 Stevens Street, on Oct. 10
Areas where the establishment was out of compliance:
- None.