Deficiencies in Food Safety, Sanitation, and Labeling Practices
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple deficiencies in food safety and sanitation practices within the facility. Cooked, potentially hazardous foods such as meatballs, corned beef, baked beans, and diced potatoes were stored in the walk-in cooler without completion of required cooling logs, and staff responsible for storing these foods were unaware of proper cooling procedures. Additionally, the caulking around the handwashing sink was missing, which the Dietary Manager acknowledged could allow bacteria to grow if water seeped behind the sink. An ice scoop was observed being placed directly back into the ice chest after use, rather than being stored in a designated bin, raising concerns about cross-contamination. The staff member handling the ice scoop was not wearing gloves and admitted the scoop should have been stored outside the ice chest. Further inspection of a resident refrigerator on the first floor revealed several food items, including partially eaten stir fry, a carbonated beverage, bread, sliced salami, sliced cheese, and salad, that were not labeled with resident names or dates. Facility policy requires all food brought in to be checked, sealed, labeled with content, resident name, date received, and an expiration date, but these procedures were not followed. These findings were confirmed through interviews with the Dietary Manager and review of facility policy and the FDA Food Code.