Food Safety and Sanitation Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food service safety, as evidenced by several observations and interviews. In the dry storage area, expired food items, including bags of white bread and undated English muffins, were found. The dish machine in the main kitchen was heavily soiled with a brown substance, and the exhaust vent above it was covered with a fuzzy black substance. The dish machine's temperature logs revealed that the final rinse temperature was below the minimum safe level on multiple occasions, with no corrective actions documented. Additionally, a tub of hard-boiled eggs in the walk-in refrigerator was dirty, improperly sealed, and past its use-by date. Interviews with the Dietary Manager revealed a lack of awareness regarding the source of the substances on the dish machine and the last cleaning of the exhaust hood. The manager also admitted to not having a routine cleaning schedule checklist. Furthermore, the facility was unable to provide dish machine temperature logs for a six-month period. The Nursing Home Administrator expressed expectations for proper food storage, labeling, and equipment maintenance, which were not met according to the observations and findings.
Plan Of Correction
1. All food not stored properly was discarded. 2. Dietary manager will provide education to dietary staff on proper storage of food, proper dishwasher temperatures and cleaning of kitchen equipment. 3. Facility has signed a lease for a new dishwasher on 5/1/25, looking to have installed in the next month. 4. Exhaust vent over top of dish machine was cleaned as well as dishwasher. 5. An audit will be performed on the exhaust vent two times weekly x 4 weeks, then monthly x 2 months. 6. An audit will be performed on the dish machine temperature log weekly x 4 weeks, then monthly x 2 months to ensure final rinse temperatures are above 180 degrees. 7. An audit will be performed to make sure all food is being stored and dated properly in the pantry, walk in refrigerator, dry storage area and freezer three times weekly x 4 weeks, then two times monthly x 2 months. 8. Dietary Manager going forward will have dietary aides perform a checklist for both AM and PM to ensure that the dish machine is cleaned inside and out as well as the vent above dish machine daily. 9. Results will be taken to QAPI for review of findings and further interventions if warranted.