Failure to Properly Label Food and Maintain Dishwashing Sanitizer Levels
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to store food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. Specifically, sandwiches in the kitchen refrigerator were found without labels or dates, and a bin of expired butter cups was not discarded. Staff interviews confirmed that the absence of labeling made it impossible to determine the age of the food, increasing the risk of serving expired items. Facility policy required all food to be labeled and dated, but this was not followed in these instances. Additionally, the facility did not ensure that the low temperature dishwashing machine had the appropriate concentration of sanitizer. During testing, the sanitizer test strip remained white instead of turning purple, indicating that the correct sanitizer concentration was not present. Staff acknowledged that proper sanitizer levels are necessary to ensure dishware is adequately disinfected. Facility policies required all dishware and utensils to be cleaned and sanitized after each use, but this standard was not met during the survey.