Failure to Follow Food Storage and Sanitation Standards
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to adhere to proper food storage and sanitation standards in several ways. During a kitchen inspection, expired food items were found in the refrigerator, including a bag of tortillas, four cheese sandwiches, and seven peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, all past their best buy dates. Additionally, trays of apple sauce and fruit cocktail were stored without preparation date labels, making it unclear when they were prepared. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that these items should have been checked and labeled according to facility policy. Further review of facility records revealed incomplete monitoring and documentation logs for critical kitchen operations. The Dish Machine Temperature Log, Quat Sanitizer Log, and Refrigerator & Freezer Temperature Logs all had missing entries for multiple days. The Dietary Supervisor acknowledged that these logs were the responsibility of dietary staff and should have been completed to ensure proper sanitation and food safety. Facility policies reviewed indicated that expired food should not be in stock, all prepared foods should be labeled and dated, and temperature and sanitizer logs should be maintained as required.