Failure to Maintain Food Service Safety and Sanitation Standards
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, and serve food in accordance with professional standards, as evidenced by multiple deficiencies in food service safety. Review of dishwasher temperature logs over several months revealed that temperatures were not consistently recorded in any of the dining rooms, with most logs left blank and only sporadic entries in one area. Staff interviews confirmed that signatures on the logs were used in place of actual temperature recordings, and staff could not verify if dishwashers were operating at required temperatures. Direct observation of the dishwashing process showed that the thermometers on the dishwasher did not register any temperature changes during test cycles, and staff were unable to confirm if dishes were being properly sanitized. During a tour of the produce cooler, expired and moldy food items were found, including lime juice and mustard past their expiration dates and containers of strawberries with visible mold. Staff acknowledged that these items should have been discarded and stated that cooler clean-outs were supposed to occur regularly, but the presence of expired and spoiled food indicated this was not consistently done. The food services manager confirmed that expired and moldy food should not be present and should have been thrown out. Observations of meal preparation revealed that staff were handling ready-to-eat food with gloved hands instead of utensils, repeatedly touching food items and plates without changing gloves or performing hand hygiene. When questioned, staff admitted that this practice was not appropriate and did not meet expectations for food safety. The food services manager confirmed that staff should not touch food that is served to residents and should change gloves to prevent cross-contamination.