(BIVN) – The White Guava Café in Hilo has been authorized to reopen, after it was issued a green “pass” placard by the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Food Safety Branch during a follow-up inspection.

The café was closed after it was issued a red “closed” placard in October due to a roach infestation and multiple critical food safety violations. The food establishment, located at 54 E. Pūʻainakō Street, is operated by AJ & Sons Catering, LLC.

The health department required the food establishment to take the following corrective actions:

• Discard all contaminated food products;
• Hire a professional pest control operator and submit the service report to the DOH;
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect all food and non-food contact surfaces;
• Remove unnecessary equipment and supplies to prevent harborage sites;
• Repair broken frame of back door leading to kitchen to protect the establishment from the weather and the entry of insects, rodents and other animals; and
• Remove all poisonous or toxic materials from food prep areas.

During the follow-up inspection, the DOH inspector determined that all corrective actions had been completed, the health department says.