Failure to Maintain Sanitary Kitchen Conditions and Proper Food Storage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen and did not store food in accordance with professional standards. Observations included unclean flooring, rodent droppings in a kitchen storage area, and opened and unlabeled food items in a refrigerator designated for resident supplements. Specifically, a storage area contained a non-functioning steam table with an open section on the floor, where rodent droppings and traps were found. The refrigerator in this area held three bags of lettuce, two of which were unlabeled and unopened, and one that was opened and undated. The dietary manager confirmed these items were not properly labeled or dated. Further inspection revealed a deep fryer with a thick layer of debris and food residue on both sides, as well as a dark, thick layer of residue on the flooring underneath. The state department Sanitarian's notices from both routine and complaint visits documented violations, including the presence of rodents, unclean floors, and non-food contact surfaces not being cleaned frequently enough. Kitchen staff confirmed that the Sanitarian instructed them to clean the area due to rodent droppings, and the dietary manager acknowledged that the fryer and surrounding floor had not been cleaned as required.