CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Each year, dozens of state inspectors inspect thousands of meat processing plants, food manufacturers, and grocery stores across North Carolina to try to make food as safe as possible for consumers.
But a Channel 9 investigation uncovered some unsanitary violations and an increasing demand for staff in one division to complete inspections.
The Butcher Shoppe in Statesville allowed Channel 9 inside its doors as N.C. Meat & Poultry Inspector Hollie Williams inspected the facility.
Among many of her tasks, Williams checks the meat, equipment, floors and walls, and labels.
"They've got to have the inspection legend," she said.
After her inspection of The Butcher Shoppe, she said, "It's outstanding. It looks really good."
Williams said one of the most common violations at plants is specks of meat left on tools and equipment. She said their checks are very careful and oftentimes to the naked eye, it might not appear there is an issue.
But there are other types of violations that do stand out.
Channel 9 reviewed dozens of records with violations from the state.
In March, a state inspector found rodent droppings in containers of sausage seasoning and black pepper at Grady Deal Meat Processing in Conover.
The inspector called it "unsanitary."
"That's a direct food safety issue," Donald Delozier, director of the N.C. Meat & Poultry Inspection division, said. His program has the authority to shut down a plant if inspectors deem fit, but in this case, the room was cleaned out and the inspector increased checks in the area.
The owner's wife would only tell Channel 9 that they planned to hire an exterminator before they closed for the summer. Her husband, Grady Deal, did not return calls or the message left with her asking him to call.
The state has two main food inspection divisions but they are very different.
The Meat & Poultry Inspection division has 80 inspectors who check 180 plants every day.
The Food & Drug Protection division has 24 inspectors who check about 10,000 food manufacturers and grocery stores. It strives to inspect what it calls "high-risk" plants -- like a canning plant, every year, and "lower-risk" plants -- like a grocery store, every two years.
Director of the Food & Drug Protection division Dan Ragan admits it's a challenge because complaints are increasing and new food laws will require even more inspections.
"We don't have enough inspectors to cover all the facilities," he said. "While the number of facilities in North Carolina has been increasing, our staff has not."
In May 2012 at a Food Lion in Marshville, inspectors discovered a live rodent and that rodents had gnawed holes and left pellets, or feces, in packages of nuts, trail mix, and popcorn.
Food Lion released a statement, which said in part: "Food safety is a top priority... We regret this isolated situation..." Officials said "they addressed the situation... within 24 hours."
Three follow-up visits from state inspectors in June found no rodents.
Food Lion said it contracts with its own independent food inspection firm that visits monthly and that it also did ten checks in the following six weeks to ensure there was not a reoccurrence.
At the Dean & DeLuca in South Charlotte's South Park neighborhood, inspectors found live and dead cockroaches in and around their ice and fish in February 2012.
Less than two weeks later, inspectors still found roaches, and in March again, before an exterminator finally took care of the problem for good.
Dean & DeLuca's manager, Don Burns, said the store was undergoing "major renovations" at the time and worked with an exterminator, the Mecklenburg County Health Department, and the state.
"Was that area continuing to operate and continuing to sell?" Channel 9 asked.
"Yes... I believe they were," Ragan said. "But they were working on cleaning it up."
Burns also confirmed Dean & DeLuca continued operating as the exterminator worked during February and March.
Ragan said his inspectors can tell a store to fix a problem but unlike the Meat & Poultry division, they can't shut it down.
"It's disgusting and it's unappetizing," Barbara Kowalcyk said. Kowalcyk is CEO of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention and often speaks to companies about the importance of food safety education and training for employees.
She admits there's not a lot consumers can do, but she does recommend simply looking at how clean a store is; supporting companies that make food safety a priority; and pushing back against budget cuts on food safety programs.
"Consumers have to demand it and tell their companies they want it, tell their government officials that they want it and really demand investment in food safety," she said.