Widespread Food Storage, Sanitation, and Hand Hygiene Failures in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility's kitchen and nourishment rooms regarding food storage, labeling, sanitation, and staff hygiene practices. Numerous food items in the walk-in refrigerator, freezer, and dry storage were found to be undated, unlabeled, and in some cases, visibly spoiled or contaminated with bio growth. Open containers of milk, fruit bowls, and various other food items lacked proper labeling and dating, while some produce and meats were observed with mold or other signs of spoilage. Additionally, food items were not always stored in accordance with professional standards, with raw meats improperly stored and prepared foods left uncovered or inadequately covered. Staff were repeatedly observed failing to follow proper hand hygiene and glove use protocols. Several dietary staff members were seen moving between tasks such as plating food, handling dirty dishes, and performing temperature checks without washing hands or changing gloves as required. Staff were also observed scratching their heads, picking items up from the floor, and then resuming food preparation duties without performing hand hygiene. These lapses occurred despite facility policies mandating hand washing before and after glove use, between tasks, and after contact with unsanitary surfaces. Sanitation and cleaning logs were incomplete or missing, with dishwashing and refrigeration temperature logs showing multiple unrecorded dates. The kitchen environment was found to be unsanitary, with dirty pots and pans left in sinks, food particles and bio growth present in various areas, and evidence of insect activity near dishwashing equipment. The facility's own policies require daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules, as well as proper documentation of cleaning and temperature checks, but these were not consistently followed or documented. Staff interviews confirmed a lack of adherence to established procedures for food storage, labeling, and sanitation.