Deficiencies in Food Storage, Sanitation, and Staff Hygiene in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility's kitchen regarding food storage, preparation, and sanitation. During several tours, food items in the walk-in refrigerator and dry food pantry were found to be unlabeled, undated, and in some cases, expired. Specific items such as coleslaw, scrambled egg mix, dessert cups, bread, rolls, rice, corn syrup, and Italian dressing were not properly labeled or dated, and expired items remained in storage even after initial findings were communicated to staff. The facility's own policies required all time and temperature control for safety (TCS) leftovers to be labeled, covered, and dated, and for expired foods to be discarded, but these procedures were not consistently followed. In addition to food storage issues, the kitchen's cooking equipment, including the deep fryer and ovens, was found to be unclean, with excessive grease, food debris, and charred residue present. The cleaning schedule provided by the Dietary Supervisor indicated that equipment should be cleaned regularly, but interviews revealed inconsistencies in cleaning frequency and adherence to the schedule. The Dietary Supervisor acknowledged that unclean equipment could pose fire hazards and increase the risk of illness for residents. Surveyors also noted that dietary staff were not consistently wearing required hair and beard restraints while working in the kitchen. Several staff members with beards were observed without beard restraints, and interviews revealed confusion and lack of training regarding the requirement for beard restraints. Some staff stated they had not been provided with beard restraints or were unaware of the policy, despite the facility's written procedures mandating hair restraints for all kitchen staff. These lapses in food safety and sanitation practices could place residents at risk of foodborne illness, as directly stated in the report.