Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Service Conditions and Proper Sanitization
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures to maintain sanitary conditions and professional standards for food service safety in the facility's kitchen and food storage areas. During a tour of the walk-in cooler, there was an accumulation of debris on the wire rack shelving, a dried yellow spill, and paper trash under racks and along the floor perimeter. The walk-in freezer also contained paper trash debris from date marking stickers. In the clean utensil drawer, crumbs were found along the back wall, and the Dietary Manager was unsure how often this area was cleaned. The stand-up mixer, covered with a plastic bag to keep it clean, had dried food debris on its underarm. Both the manual and electric can openers had significant accumulations of rust, pitting, and dark debris, and the pantry microwave had visible food debris on its interior top surface. Further deficiencies were noted in the facility's sanitation practices. Staff obtained sanitizer from the janitor's sink and filled spray bottles, but the test strips available for checking sanitizer concentration were expired. Testing revealed that one sanitizer spray bottle had a concentration of 0 to 50 ppm, while a bucket prepared by the Dietary Manager exceeded 500 ppm, indicating inconsistent and improper sanitizer levels. The Dietary Manager was unsure about the cause of this inconsistency. Additionally, in the clean pots and pans storage area, several pans were found stacked while still wet, without proper air drying, contrary to required procedures. These observations were corroborated by interviews with the Dietary Manager, who acknowledged uncertainty regarding cleaning schedules and procedures for several areas and equipment. The report references specific sections of the 2022 FDA Food Code, highlighting the requirements for cleanliness of food-contact and non-food-contact surfaces, proper use and testing of sanitizing solutions, and the necessity for air-drying equipment and utensils before storage. The documented failures in cleaning, sanitizing, and storage practices represent a deficiency in maintaining food safety standards as required by federal regulations.