Deficient Food Storage and Sanitation Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store food and beverages and utilize equipment in accordance with professional standards for food service safety, as evidenced by multiple observations and staff interviews. During a kitchen tour, surveyors found a half-full bag of onions sitting directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler, an ice machine vent covered with a moderate amount of fuzzy gray debris, and several food items in refrigerators and freezers that were not labeled or dated as required by facility policy. Additionally, dry storage areas contained unlabeled and undated food items, opened packages that were not securely closed, a dented can of cherry pie filling on a rack for use, and cases of food stored directly on the floor. The three-compartment sanitation sink lacked test strips for verifying sanitation solution strength at the time of observation. Further inspection of a nourishment refrigerator in the activity room revealed dried spills on shelves and drawers, beverages in facility cups without names or dates, and a chocolate dessert labeled with a resident's name that was past the three-day discard policy. Staff interviews confirmed that nursing was responsible for labeling and dating foods in the activity room refrigerator, while dietary was responsible for cleaning it. There was also confusion among staff regarding responsibility for the refrigerator and proper food storage practices, as well as a lack of awareness about the requirement to keep food off the floor and to use only undamaged cans. Additional observations included the presence of test strips for the sanitation sink, but one container was missing the results grid and expiration date, making it unusable for accurate testing. A case of canned gravy was also found sitting directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler. The NHA confirmed expectations for proper labeling, dating, and storage of foods, as well as the need for valid test strips, but could not verify the accuracy of previous sanitation testing due to missing documentation.