Failure to Maintain Food Safety Standards in Kitchen Operations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety in the kitchen. Observations revealed that kitchen staff, including the dietary manager, dietary aide, and cook, did not effectively wear hair nets, leaving hair exposed on the front, sides, and backs of their heads. Additionally, food items in the refrigerator and freezer were found to be unlabeled, undated, and in some cases unsealed. Specific items such as premade turkey sandwiches, salad mix, and bags of cheese slices were not properly labeled or sealed, and expired food was present in the refrigerator. Freezers lacked thermometers, contained half-thawed and unlabeled food items, and had visible spills that were not cleaned up. Beverage dispensers in the dining room were also not labeled or dated. Interviews with dietary staff and supervisors confirmed that food should be dated and labeled upon preparation, storage, or delivery, and that expired foods should be discarded promptly. Staff acknowledged that proper thawing procedures were not followed, as meats were found thawing in standing water rather than under running water or in the refrigerator. The dietary supervisor also reported that the refrigerator door had a broken seal that had not been repaired, which could compromise food safety. Staff admitted to not having received in-service training on kitchen duties since being hired and recognized the importance of cleaning spills immediately and maintaining proper food storage practices. Record reviews of facility policies and federal food safety codes indicated that the facility was not adhering to established guidelines for food labeling, storage, temperature monitoring, and sanitation. Policies required daily temperature checks, proper labeling and dating of all food items, and immediate cleaning of spills, none of which were consistently followed. The lack of compliance with these standards placed residents at risk of foodborne illness and food contamination, as directly stated in the report.