Deficient Food Storage and Equipment Sanitation in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure safe and sanitary food storage and equipment maintenance practices in the kitchen, affecting 123 out of 125 residents. During an initial kitchen tour, multiple food items—including margarine, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, dairy creamer, and parmesan cheese—were found in the refrigerator without any labels indicating the date they were opened or the date by which they should be used. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that facility policy requires food items to be labeled with received, opened, and expiration dates, and acknowledged that unlabeled food could not be verified as safe for consumption. The supervisor also stated that refrigerators are checked daily to ensure proper labeling and to identify expired items. Additionally, the can opener attached to the food preparation table was found to be in an unsanitary condition, with blackened surfaces, black stains, and dried, hardened food debris around the blade and gear. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that the can opener should be kept clean and sanitary to prevent contamination and bacterial growth, as outlined in facility policy and the 2017 Food Code. These observations were corroborated by interviews and a review of facility policies, which require thorough cleaning of the can opener each work shift and proper labeling and dating of all food items.