Improper Food Storage and Handling Practices Identified
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety, as evidenced by observations and staff interviews. During a kitchen inspection, surveyors found a container of cottage cheese in the refrigerator that was past its expiration date, a package of hamburger placed directly on a middle shelf without a container, and two uncovered melons stored on the shelf below the meat. The facility's policy required raw meat to be stored in drip-proof containers and expired food to be discarded. Interviews with the dietitian and DON confirmed that meat should be stored in containers on the bottom shelf and that expired food should be removed to prevent potential illness. The administrator was unaware of these issues until informed by surveyors.