Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Storage and Thermometer Disinfection
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain sanitary conditions in its food and nutrition services by not properly labeling, dating, and discarding outside food items stored in a shared residents' refrigerator. During an inspection, several food items were found in the refrigerator that were either undated, unlabeled, or past their expiration date, including containers of food, bags of leftovers, and dairy products. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that these items should have been labeled with the resident's name, room number, and date, and discarded if expired, as per facility policy. Signage on the refrigerator and the facility's written policy both required proper labeling and timely removal of perishable items, but these procedures were not followed. Additionally, the facility did not ensure that food thermometers were properly disinfected between uses when measuring food temperatures on the steam table. Observations showed that a cook inconsistently wiped the thermometer with a paper towel or alcohol swab and sometimes used the same paper towel or swab between different food items. Both the cook and the Dietary Supervisor acknowledged that the thermometer should be cleaned and disinfected between each use to prevent cross-contamination, as outlined in the facility's policy. These lapses in food safety practices were confirmed through interviews and review of facility policies.