Unsanitary Kitchen Conditions and Improper Equipment Maintenance
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility kitchen related to food safety and sanitation. A blender was found stored wet with the lid on, and the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) confirmed it had not been air dried after cleaning. This practice does not comply with the USDA Food Code, which requires equipment and utensils to be air-dried after cleaning and sanitizing. Additionally, two nonstick frying pans were observed to have excessively worn cooking surfaces, and the CDM acknowledged that these pans were no longer cleanable and would be discarded. The USDA Food Code specifies that multiuse food-contact surfaces must be smooth and free of imperfections such as cracks or pits. Further, the exhaust hood over the stove was found to have greasy, black debris on its interior surface, despite documentation indicating it had been cleaned the previous day. The CDM confirmed the hood was not clean at the time of inspection. The facility's own policy requires the kitchen hood exhaust system to be properly cleaned and maintained to support a safe and healthful environment. These deficiencies were identified during observations, interviews, and record reviews, and affected the kitchen that prepared food for 52 residents with various dietary needs.