Failure to Maintain Safe Food Storage Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all food was stored at appropriate temperatures, as required by professional standards. Review of temperature logs for the walk-in refrigerator in August 2025 showed recorded temperatures ranging from 50 to 65 degrees, which is above the recommended maximum of 42 degrees for safe food storage. During a kitchen tour, the walk-in refrigerator was observed to be at 50 degrees, and there was no internal thermometer present. Staff interviews confirmed that the refrigerator had not been functioning properly since July 2025, and maintenance requests for repairs had been submitted but not yet approved or completed. To compensate, staff had been opening the freezer door to cool the refrigerator, resulting in ice accumulation in the freezer due to condensation. The Director of Dietary confirmed that eggs, raw meat, and dairy were being stored in the freezer instead of the refrigerator to reduce spoilage risk, but acknowledged that other items in the refrigerator could potentially spoil due to inconsistent temperatures. The Director of Maintenance verified that the refrigerator did not maintain safe temperatures, especially during times when staff were not present to monitor and adjust conditions. The Regional Administrator confirmed that the refrigerator was not maintaining appropriate temperatures according to facility logs and observations. The deficiency had the potential to affect all residents except two who did not receive food from the kitchen, but there were no reports of residents exhibiting symptoms of foodborne illness at the time of the investigation.