Dishwasher Temperatures Not Maintained for Safe Food Service
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe and sanitary environment for food preparation, storage, and distribution, as required by professional standards. Specifically, the high temperature dishwasher used to clean and sanitize dishware did not consistently reach the required rinse temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit or the non-regressing thermometer reading of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The dish machine log for July 2025 showed that the rinse temperature was below 180 degrees Fahrenheit on seven occasions and the non-regressing thermometer did not reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit on nineteen occasions between July 1 and July 17, 2025. These temperature deficiencies were documented during routine logging at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Despite these recorded temperature failures, the Dietary Manager was not notified of the issues, and staff did not take corrective actions such as re-running the dishwasher or escalating the problem when repeated attempts failed to reach the necessary temperatures. The facility's policy required staff to be knowledgeable about proper dishwashing techniques and to maintain temperature logs in accordance with manufacturer recommendations, but these procedures were not followed. As a result, all 34 residents in the facility were potentially affected by the failure to properly sanitize dishware.