Deficient Food Storage, Kitchen Sanitation, and Food Handling Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen, store food safely, and serve food in accordance with professional standards. Observations revealed that the sandwich cooler on the second floor was operating above the required temperature, with various food items such as sliced tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sliced turkey, chicken salad, cheese, and milk all found at temperatures exceeding the 41 degrees Fahrenheit standard for time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods. Staff interviews confirmed awareness of the required temperature standards, and policy reviews supported the need for proper refrigeration. Additionally, the walk-in cooler contained multiple unlabeled and undated food items, including cheeses and pot roast, with some items past their use-by dates. The cooler and produce cooler also had dirty, rusting, and dusty surfaces, and a hole in the kitchen floor was observed collecting food debris, which staff acknowledged as an ongoing maintenance issue. Further deficiencies were observed in food handling practices during resident activities. An activities assistant was seen distributing muffins to residents without wearing gloves or performing hand hygiene between residents, even after touching both the food and residents' clothing. The assistant confirmed not following hand hygiene protocols, and facility policy requires handwashing before, during, and after food preparation, as well as between contact with different residents. These failures in food storage, kitchen sanitation, and food service practices had the potential to affect all residents receiving food from the kitchen.