Deficient Food Safety and Sanitation Practices in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe and sanitary environment for food preparation, storage, and distribution, as evidenced by multiple observations and staff interviews. The facility did not have a system in place for manually monitoring the internal concentration of the chemical dishwasher, which is necessary for proper sanitization. Staff were observed to be recording dishwasher temperatures, despite the dishwasher being a chemical sanitizing type, and the temperature logs did not reflect the actual temperatures observed, which were consistently below the required levels. Additionally, the test strips used to monitor chemical concentration were expired, and staff were unsure of the correct procedures for monitoring the dishwasher's effectiveness. Staff in the food preparation areas were observed not wearing appropriate hair restraints, including hairnets and beard nets, despite facility policy requiring all hair to be covered when in the kitchen. Multiple staff members, including dietary managers and aides, were seen in the kitchen and food prep areas with uncovered hair or facial hair while handling food and clean dishes. Staff interviews confirmed a lack of consistent adherence to the hair restraint policy. Food storage practices were also found to be deficient. Surveyors observed multiple instances of opened food items in refrigerators and freezers that were not labeled or dated, as well as food items that were past their expiration or use-by dates. Staff acknowledged that all opened food should be labeled and dated, and that expired food should be discarded, but these practices were not consistently followed. These deficiencies had the potential to affect all 57 residents residing in the facility.