Multiple Food Service Safety and Sanitation Deficiencies Identified
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility's food service operations, including the absence of a garbage bin under the hand sink, which resulted in staff carrying dirty hand towels across the kitchen to dispose of them. Additionally, two 5 lb containers of cottage cheese and a container of dried rice in storage were found undated, contrary to facility policy requiring all opened and refrigerated food items to be labeled with the date opened and a use-by date. The dish machine room was noted to have two non-functioning overhead fluorescent light bulbs, and two sections of floor baseboard in the main kitchen area were uncovered, exposing open surfaces that could collect dust. A ceiling tile in the main kitchen was also unsecured, revealing exposed insulation underneath. Interviews with the Food Service Director and Administrator confirmed that these conditions did not meet the facility's own policies for sanitation, infection control, and food storage. The lack of proper dating on food items, inadequate lighting, exposed baseboards, and unsecured ceiling tiles with visible insulation were all acknowledged as failures to maintain professional standards for food service safety. These deficiencies were identified through direct observation and staff interviews, and were supported by a review of facility policies and the FDA Food Code.