Those gas station mini-markets that sell non-packaged items - hot dogs, coffee, fountain drinks - must pass the health codes just like a restaurant or supermarket salad bar. Except that some of them don't. The Register's Healthy Living blog cites a few icky examples:

--La Palma Chevron, 7990 Valley View Street in Buena Park: Cited May 6 for unsanitary conditions, including grime and/or dust in the ice chute of the soda machine, the lid of the coffee urn and the area surrounding coffee nozzles.

--Joes Arco AM PM, 1000 W. Valencia Drive in Fullerton: Health inspectors on June 9 followed up on a consumer complaint about rat droppings near the soda machine and coffee area and found droppings throughout the facility, including near those machines, as well as above and below the ice machine.

--Seal Beach Chevron, 4000 Lampson Ave. in Seal Beach: Cited for operating without a valid permit on May 20.

In all three cases, permits were reinstated after the problems were corrected. What a relief.