Deficient Food Storage and Sanitation in Kitchen and Pantries
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store food and maintain food service equipment in accordance with professional standards for food safety in the main kitchen and two nursing unit pantries. In the main kitchen, open wire rack shelving in the walk-in cooler was found to be rusty with the exterior finish worn off, and food products were stored on lower shelves without barriers to protect from mop water splash or floor debris. A black plastic tub containing multiple clear plastic bags of chicken thighs was observed thawing in water without any labeling to indicate the product, date placed, or use-by date. Additional issues included a plate warmer with dust and dried food debris, bulk flour and sugar bins with soiled exteriors, and a buildup of dirt and debris on the floor under and around kitchen equipment. In the Oak/[NAME] pantry, a bin of individually packaged cookies was stored without any date to indicate when they were placed or needed to be used by, and refrigerator/freezer temperature logs had not been recorded for several days. In the Marble/Maple pantry, soiled meal trays, a package of graham crackers, and used plastic lids were stored in a cabinet with a large dried brown liquid spill and soiled door rims. The refrigerator and freezer in this pantry also had no recent temperature logs, and both units had significant ice and frost buildup. These findings were confirmed during an interview with the Nursing Home Administrator and DON.