Sanitary Food Service Deficiencies in Kitchen Operations
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to maintain sanitary food service practices in the kitchen, as observed during multiple site visits. A floor fan was found on the dish room floor, blowing air across clean plate bases and covers, with visible debris and grease on the fan guard. The dietary manager acknowledged the fan was dirty and removed it after the observation. Additionally, a kitchen aide was seen plating pureed cake and assembling dinner trays without a cover over his mustache and facial hair, contrary to facility policy requiring facial hair to be restrained. The aide confirmed that his mustache should have been covered during food preparation. Further observations revealed a cook wearing gloves while performing multiple tasks, including opening and closing the walk-in refrigerator, wiping hands on a dirty apron, handling resident sandwiches, stacking dinner plates, and plating food, without changing gloves between tasks. The dietary manager confirmed that gloves should be changed between tasks to maintain sanitation. Interviews with dietary management staff indicated awareness of these issues and acknowledged that the observed practices were not sanitary and did not align with facility policy.