Food Safety and Sanitation Deficiencies in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, and serve food in accordance with professional standards, as evidenced by multiple observations and interviews. In the kitchen, concentrated juice containers were not labeled with open dates, and some items were kept past their recommended shelf life, contrary to facility policy and manufacturer guidelines. Additionally, syrup and juice products were found with expired or missing open dates, and the Dietary Manager confirmed these items were not safe or suitable for resident use. Staff in the kitchen, including the Dietary Manager, cooks, and dietary aides, were observed not wearing beard covers despite having facial hair, which was inconsistent with facility policy requiring hair restraints for staff with facial hair longer than a quarter inch. Clean grill cleaning tools were stored in an uncovered pan next to cleaning chemicals under a sink used for dirty dishes, violating both facility policy and the Nebraska Food Code regarding the separation of clean and dirty items and the storage of toxic materials. Further, a cook was observed handling ready-to-eat food, such as sandwich buns, with bare hands instead of wearing gloves, despite facility policy mandating glove use for direct contact with ready-to-eat foods. Water for food preparation and the steam table was dispensed from a handwashing sink, which is prohibited by the Nebraska Food Code, and staff were unaware of this requirement. These actions and inactions had the potential to affect all residents in the facility.