Improper Food Storage and Handling in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, and distribute food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. During a kitchen tour, surveyors observed that raw chicken products were stored above ready-to-eat desserts such as Boston cream pies and Philadelphia cheesecakes in the freezer, contrary to the facility's own food storage policy, which requires cooked foods to be stored above raw poultry. Additionally, an expired 1 1/2 gallon container of 2% reduced fat milk was found in the refrigerator, and several opened food items, including cheese slices, ham, and bacon, were not properly sealed. Interviews with facility staff confirmed that these practices did not align with established food safety and sanitation policies. The Dietary Manager acknowledged that desserts should not be stored under raw chicken and that expired milk should be discarded. The Administrator also confirmed that items in the kitchen should be stored in a clean and safe manner. These deficiencies had the potential to affect all 130 residents served from the kitchen.