Critical inspection violations at 1 in 20 LI food stores

Roughly one out of every 20 grocery stores inspected by state officials on Long Island over the last 13 months has been cited for critical food and safety violations, including offenses that could lead to food-borne illnesses.

The Department of Agriculture & Markets issued critical violations to 116 establishments after inspecting 2,225 retail food stores in Nassau and Suffolk counties between Nov. 6, 2014 and Oct. 7, according to the agency's most recent data.

More than 20 stores had upward of 15 violations. The most common critical offenses were for evidence of insects, rodents and other vermin.

Stores on Long Island fared slightly better in the inspections than those statewide, where 6 percent of grocers incurred critical violation. In New York City, 8 percent of food stores had critical violations.