Failure to Air Dry Dishes and Maintain Proper Dishwashing Temperature and Sanitization
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement proper procedures for air drying cleaned dishes and did not follow the manufacturer's instructions for minimum temperature and sanitization levels in the dishwashing process. Observations revealed that cleaned dishes, including plate warmers, domes, bowls, coffee cups, and juice cups, were stacked while still wet and nesting, rather than being air dried. Staff interviews confirmed that the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) instructed dietary aides to stack dishes immediately after cleaning due to limited space, and that air drying was not practiced as required. Further observations and interviews indicated that the dish machine was not consistently reaching the required minimum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, with recorded temperatures as low as 115.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the sanitization level did not meet the minimum requirement of 50 parts per million (ppm) during several checks, as indicated by testing strips that showed no color change. Staff members, including dietary aides, were aware of the temperature and sanitization deficiencies but continued to use the dish machine and serve dishes that had not been properly sanitized or dried. The maintenance assistant was not informed of the dish machine's failure to meet temperature and sanitization requirements on the day of the observations, and the temperature monitoring equipment was not always functional. The administrator later acknowledged that dishes should have been air dried and that available kitchen space could have been used for this process. The issues with the dish machine were attributed to a malfunctioning heating unit and improper chemical flow, which were not addressed in a timely manner.