A CBC investigation probing food safety at coffee chains across the country has found that Coffee Time has received an inordinate number of health violations, more than double those of some competitors.

'We saw rats jumping out of items on the floor; there were reports of dead flies on doughnuts.'—CBC reporter Erica Johnson

CBC's Marketplace scrutinized a year's worth of health inspection reports for Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Second Cup, Coffee Time and Country Style.

For every 100 health inspection visits, Coffee Time received 78 infractions.

Some of the reports filed against Coffee Time and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act were surprising, says CBC reporter Erica Johnson.

"We discovered things like improper handwashing or complete lack of handwashing. We found meat that had to be thrown out because it wasn't hot enough, other food had to be thrown out because it wasn't cool enough," said Johnson. "[There was also a report of] an operator smoking while the inspection was going on. We saw rats jumping out of items on the floor; there were reports of dead flies on doughnuts."

About 35 per cent of Toronto Coffee Times on probation

Canadians spend about $5 billion annually in coffee shops each year, purchasing such products as coffee, sandwiches, doughnuts and chili. About 15 million Canadians frequent coffee shops each year.

While four of the five restaurants in the Marketplace probe fared well in food-safety handling, Coffee Time had an unusually large proportion of violations, according to statisticians at the University of Toronto.

Food inspectors put 35 per cent of Coffee Time's restaurants on probation over two years. Coffee Time says problems at every location were fixed and all restaurants were subsequently given a pass.

Jim Chan, a Toronto health inspector, says that employees in the food service industry must be vigilant about proper handwashing to stem the spread of germs. More than 11 million Canadians contract a foodborne illness every year, ranging from harmless stomach aches to deadly E. coli poisonings. 

The vice-president of Coffee Time says his company provides franchise owners with four weeks of training, although he did not specify how much of that time is dedicated to food safety.

No internal auditors

While some of its competitors deploy internal auditors who make surprise visits to their restaurants, Coffee Time does not have a dedicated team zeroing in on food-safety violations.

"[Some companies have] inspectors who make surprise visits to their own restaurants," Johnson said. "So they'll show up and if they see a problem, they're proactive about getting it cleaned up. At Coffee Time, we didn't see internal auditors who focus on food safety."

Consumers can be proactive themselves by conducting a visual inspection of the restaurant. If you observe an employee not following proper handwashing protocol or not following other food-safety guidelines, point it out. Customers can also file complaints with their local health inspector, to ensure that any issue will be investigated.

Marketplaceairs on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.