Kitchen at Trump's Mar-a-Lago had several health code violations, inspectors found

Restaurant inspectors recently found several health code violations in the kitchen at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, including undercooked meat and subpar hand-washing practices among employees. 

Records show officials with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspected Mr. Trump’s Palm Beach property on January 26, and found a total of 10 violations.

The Miami Herald first reported the violations.

Officials have conducted six inspections at the resort since June 2014, Florida records indicate. While the club was found to have “met inspection standards” following each visit, regulators noted violations of varying severity during each inspection.

In January, inspectors found three high-priority violations, three intermediate infractions and four basic issues. The high-priority issues dealt with food stored at unsafe temperatures.

Inspectors said “potentially hazardous” poultry, duck, rice, beef and ham was found in a walk-in cooler at temperatures higher than the required 41 degrees. The ham was found to be warmest at 57 degrees. A technician told the inspectors the cooler’s “defrost” setting had mistakenly been turned on.

Officials also noted that “fish offered raw or undercooked has not undergone proper parasite destruction.” The inspectors ordered the food to be cooked or thrown out.

There was no hot water at the sink where employees wash their hands, and a restroom did not have an employee-handwashing sign.

The president is departing for Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, marking the seventh weekend he has spent at the club since taking office. He purchased the property in 1985, turning the lavish mansion into a private club. Membership alone now costs $200,000.

Mr. Trump most recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the resort, the first meeting of the two leaders. In an interview with Fox Business Network on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said he informed Xi of impending U.S. missile strikes on a Syrian airbase over dinner at the Mar-a-Lago restaurant.

In March, Mr. Trump and his national security team scrambled to react to the launch of a North Korean missile while dining at the club with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.