Deficiencies in Food Service Sanitation and Date Marking
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple deficiencies in the facility's food service operations, including failures in cleaning and maintaining food service equipment and improper date marking of potentially hazardous ready-to-eat food products. Specifically, opened containers of milk were found in coolers without effective open or discard dates, despite manufacturer use-by dates being present. Additionally, non-pasteurized shell eggs were stored in the cooler and used for resident meals, contrary to food code requirements for pasteurization. Several pieces of kitchen equipment, such as a can opener, convection oven, coffee machine, and microwave, were found with accumulated and encrusted food residue, indicating inadequate cleaning practices. The microwave oven's interior door mesh screen was also damaged, posing a potential safety issue. The dish machine's final rinse cycle was operating at a water pressure above the recommended range, and the walk-in cooler had flooring and door maintenance issues, including loose anti-skid strips and a malfunctioning automatic door closer. Record reviews of facility policies revealed that the facility had established procedures for sanitation, cleaning, and date marking, which were not consistently followed as evidenced by the observations. These failures affected all residents who consumed food from the facility, increasing the likelihood of cross-contamination and foodborne illness, as noted in the survey findings.
Plan Of Correction
F812 – Food Procurement, Store/Prepare/Serve – Sanitary Element #1: Dining staff immediately corrected the following concerns: - Milk observed without proper date-marking was disposed of. - Non-pasteurized eggs were discarded. - The can opener was deep cleaned. - The oven was deep cleaned. - The coffee machine was deep cleaned. - The microwave was replaced. - Dish machine will be repaired to ensure PSI within manufacturer recommended guidelines by the compliance date. - Walk-in cooler will be repaired to ensure the door to the walk-in cooler closes to a positive latch by the compliance date. - Maintenance replaced the anti-slip strips in the walk-in cooler. Element #2: The Dietary Manager conducted a full sanitation inspection of food storage and preparation areas to identify and correct additional risks. Element #3: The Administrator reviewed the policy on Date Marking for Food Safety, and Sanitation Inspection. Dining Services staff were provided re-education on the policies for date marking and sanitation. Element #4: The Dietary Manager and/or designee will perform kitchen sanitation inspections 3x weekly for 12 weeks to ensure compliance with food safety and sanitation protocols. Results of the audits will be brought to the QAPI Committee monthly for review. Any changes to the auditing process will be determined by the QAPI Committee. The Administrator is responsible to attain and maintain compliance. Compliance Date: 6/20/2025