Food Storage, Preparation, and Staff Hygiene Deficiencies in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. In the walk-in refrigerator, bell peppers were found with wrinkling skin, softness, and white spots, indicating spoilage, and chicken noodle soup was not fully covered with plastic wrap. In the walk-in freezer, several food items including garlic bread, hash browns, and beef steak patties were found in torn or unsealed packaging, and packages of shrimp and brussels sprouts were not dated when received. The Dietary Manager confirmed that items should be dated, labeled, and sealed, and acknowledged that some items were not handled according to policy. Two chest freezers in the kitchen were found to be in use without thermometers, and there were no temperature logs maintained for these freezers. The chest freezers also had ice accumulation on the sides. The Dietary Manager was unable to locate thermometers for the freezers and admitted that temperature logs were not being kept. The Maintenance Director was unaware that the chest freezers were still in use and confirmed that they should have thermometers to ensure proper temperature maintenance. During lunch meal preparation and service, the Dietary Manager was observed plating food without a facial hair restraint for his mustache and failed to wash his hands between glove changes, despite handling food and touching the inner parts of plates. Another dietary staff member was observed with hair not fully covered by her hat while preparing food. Both staff members acknowledged awareness of the requirements for hair and facial hair restraints and proper hand hygiene, but did not comply with these standards during the observed meal service.