Food Safety and Sanitation Deficiencies in Kitchen and Storage Areas
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to meet food safety and sanitation requirements as evidenced by multiple observations during a kitchen tour and review of facility policies. A red bucket containing sanitizing solution was stored next to food items such as sugar and food thickener, and a staff portable radio was found on the beverage preparation area. Inside the refrigerator, two bell peppers were noted to be soft, wrinkled, and blackened, and a bag of croissants was stored with an open date but without clear indication of when it should be discarded. Additionally, an unlabeled package of mushrooms was present, with no purchase date available, and the Food & Nutrition Services Director was unable to confirm when it was bought. Further, a staff's personal water bottle was found stored on the floor beneath ready-to-eat fruit in the walk-in refrigerator. In the walk-in freezer, a frozen pizza and a bag of tamales were both stored in plastic bags without labels or expiration dates, and the Food & Nutrition Services Director could not provide information on their purchase or expiration. These findings were verified with the Food & Nutrition Services Director and were not in accordance with the facility's policies, which require food storage areas to be used only for food and mandate weekly checks for expiration and use-by dates.