Multiple Food Safety and Sanitation Failures in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was prepared, stored, served, or distributed in accordance with professional standards of food safety. Observations revealed that the ice machine was not properly cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions, with visible black and pink substances present on internal components, and some parts not being removed and sanitized as required. The reach-in freezer was found with sticky brown liquid spills from a soda can explosion that had not been promptly cleaned, and the blade of the can opener was discolored and worn, with the potential for metal shavings to contaminate food. Additionally, two cutting boards had deep grooves, making them difficult to clean and increasing the risk of harboring bacteria, while several metal pans were stacked wet in clean storage areas, contrary to air-drying requirements. Dietary staff demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding proper manual dishwashing procedures using the 2-compartment sink, including incorrect steps, water temperatures, immersion times, and sanitizer concentrations. One dietary aide was unable to correctly test and identify the proper sanitizer concentration for the dishwashing machine, and used test strips incorrectly during the demonstration. These lapses in knowledge and procedure were confirmed by interviews with the dietary manager and registered dietitian, who acknowledged the importance of proper dishwashing to prevent foodborne illness. Further, a dietary aide was observed with long artificial nails with gem decorations, handling food contact surfaces and clean utensils with bare hands. This was in violation of facility policy and FDA Food Code requirements, which prohibit artificial nails and require short, well-groomed fingernails for food handlers. The report notes that these failures had the potential to cause food contamination and foodborne illness for all residents consuming food from the facility kitchen.