Deficient Food Storage, Labeling, and Kitchen Sanitation Practices
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies in the facility's food service operations, including improper labeling, dating, and storage of potentially hazardous foods, as well as inadequate cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment. During kitchen inspections, condensation and an unidentified yellow substance were found on the ice machine, which also had duct tape and a white bonding material applied to damaged areas. The Food Service Director (FSD) was unable to identify the yellow substance or provide a satisfactory explanation for the use of duct tape and bonding material. The oven was observed to have a greasy, brown substance on its inner surface, and the FSD acknowledged that the oven should be kept clean and free of such substances. Additionally, wilted and partially decomposed lettuce, wilted and yellow celery, and cucumbers with visible spoilage and leaking juice were found in the walk-in refrigerators. The FSD stated that produce is checked during meal preparation rather than daily, which contributed to spoiled items remaining in storage. Further observations revealed an opened, unlabeled, and undated box of sausage and a container of cottage cheese in the walk-in refrigerator, both of which lacked required labeling and dating. The FSD confirmed that these items should have been covered and labeled with opened or used-by dates to ensure food safety. Facility policies reviewed by surveyors required regular cleaning and sanitizing of the ice machine and ovens, as well as proper labeling and dating of food items, but these procedures were not consistently followed. The deficiencies were acknowledged by facility leadership during the survey.