Deficiencies in Food Safety and Staff Hygiene
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food service safety, as evidenced by several deficiencies in food storage, preparation, and staff hygiene. During an inspection, it was observed that an opened box of frozen fish fillets was left exposed to the air in the kitchen's walk-in freezer, contrary to the facility's policy requiring bulk freezer items to be properly sealed. This was confirmed by the Dietary Director, who acknowledged that the fish fillets should have been covered. Additionally, the deep fryer in the meal preparation area was found to have a large amount of floating fried debris, indicating it had not been cleaned after use, which is a violation of the facility's policy on sanitizing equipment to prevent food-borne illness. Furthermore, the facility's dress code guidelines were not followed, as observed during a tray line service where a staff member with a full beard and mustache was not wearing a beard restraint while preparing drinks and trays. This was in direct violation of the facility's policy that requires facial hair restraints for staff involved in food production. The Dietary Director confirmed that staff were expected to wear appropriate hair restraints, highlighting a lapse in enforcing hygiene standards during food preparation.