Failure to Maintain Food Safety and Sanitation Standards
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow proper sanitation and food handling practices, as observed during a kitchen tour and interviews with dietary staff. Two silver baking pans containing meat loaf were found in the cooler with a pool of spilled milk on top of the foil wrapping, which the Dietary Manager acknowledged could cause contamination and pose a risk to residents with milk allergies. In the same cooler, cartons of cabbage and oranges were found with spoiled produce, including yellowing and brownish cabbages with liquid dripping out and moldy, squishy oranges. The Dietary Manager confirmed these items should have been discarded to prevent illness and cross-contamination. The cooler temperature was recorded at 51°F, above the required 41°F, and an open box of waffles in the freezer was not labeled with the date it was opened, contrary to facility policy. Additionally, unsanitary conditions were noted with two food carts that had whitish substances and black stains from food spills, which the Dietary Manager admitted had not been cleaned due to staff shortages. During dishwashing, a dietary aide was observed handling clean dishes without washing hands or wearing gloves after handling dirty dishes, which the Dietary Manager stated was not in accordance with sanitary procedures. Furthermore, the cook was seen rinsing, but not sanitizing, the puree machine between uses, despite facility policy requiring thorough washing and sanitizing. These actions and inactions contributed to the facility's failure to maintain proper food safety and sanitation standards.