Deficient Food Storage and Incomplete Sanitation Logs
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper food storage and maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen. During an observation, five beef base containers labeled with a past best if used by date were found stored in a walk-in refrigerator. The dietary supervisor confirmed that food past its use-by date should not be stored and should be discarded to prevent potential foodborne illness, in accordance with the facility's policy and procedure. The policy specifically states that foods past the use by, sell-by, best-by, or enjoy by date should be discarded to maintain food safety and prevent contamination. Additionally, a review of kitchen logs revealed incomplete documentation for sanitation and equipment cleaning. The sanitation bucket log lacked records for several time points and was missing the manager's initials in the weekly review section. The ice machine cleaning log showed the ice machine was not cleaned as required, and the dish machine temperature record was missing checks and manager initials. The dietary supervisor acknowledged the importance of accurate and daily completion of these logs for regulatory compliance, infection control, and quality assurance, as outlined in the facility's policies.