Sanitation Deficiencies in Food Service Operations
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple lapses in food service sanitation, including a visibly soiled ice machine with black biofilm and crust-like debris on both the interior and exterior surfaces. The ice scooper was repeatedly found lying unholstered, first on the ice machine and later on the edge of a table next to the machine. Photographic evidence was obtained for these observations. The Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) confirmed that facility policy required monthly cleaning and sanitizing of the ice machine, but cleaning logs provided only covered earlier months and lacked documentation for recent cleaning. The Lead Chef acknowledged that the logs were outdated and attributed missing signatures to new staff, but could not provide evidence that cleaning had occurred as required. Additionally, during tray line preparation, three kitchen staff members were observed without proper hair restraints, with one being redirected to put on a hairnet only after being noticed. These observations were verified by the CDM. The facility's failure to maintain sanitary conditions in food service areas, as evidenced by the state of the ice machine, improper storage of the ice scooper, and lack of hair restraints, constituted a deficiency in compliance with professional standards for food safety.