Deficiencies in Food Safety Practices and Equipment Sanitation
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies in the facility's food service operations, including improper cleaning and sanitizing of ice machines and cooking equipment, inappropriate glove use by dietary staff, and storage of expired food and spices. Observations revealed that a dietary aide failed to perform hand hygiene between changing tasks and glove use while serving and preparing resident food, contrary to FDA Food Code requirements. The dietary manager stated that handwashing was not performed because the aide had not left the workstation and was serving food for less than four hours. Additionally, expired and moldy food items, such as salad mix, baking soda, tomatillos, and yams, were found in the kitchen, with the dietary manager indicating that another facility was responsible for identifying and discarding expired items. Further inspection showed that the ice machine in the second-floor meal kitchen had black residue inside, despite being reportedly cleaned monthly, and cooking skillets in the assisted living kitchen were found with encrusted black residue and scratched Teflon surfaces. The dietary manager acknowledged that the equipment was visibly dirty and should have been cleaned or discarded, but was unsure why this had not occurred. These findings were based on direct observation, record review, and staff interviews, and affected all residents consuming food prepared and stored by the facility.