Failure to Follow Food Service Safety Standards
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food service safety in two key areas. First, the dietary director was observed in the kitchen, where food was being plated, without wearing a beard guard, despite the facility's policy requiring all dietary staff to wear hair restraints, including beard coverings, to prevent hair from contacting food. The dietary director stated that he only wears a beard guard when cooking and not when in the food preparation area. The nursing home administrator confirmed that the dietary director should have had his beard fully covered during food handling activities. Additionally, food items stored in one of the nursing unit pantry refrigerators were not labeled according to professional standards. Specifically, two open containers of macaroni salad and one open container of coleslaw were found without names or dates. An LPN and the dietary director both confirmed that food stored in residents' refrigerators should be labeled with the resident's name and the date. These findings indicate a failure to follow established policies and professional standards for food storage and personal hygiene in food service.