Improper Food Storage and Service Due to Refrigerator Temperature Failures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was stored, prepared, and served under sanitary conditions, as required by professional standards. Over several days, the walk-in refrigerator recorded temperatures in the danger zone, with logs showing readings as high as 70°F and multiple instances above 50°F. Despite these out-of-range temperatures, food from the refrigerator, including milk, bacon, sausage, and eggs, was served to residents. Staff interviews revealed uncertainty about whether food was discarded during the periods of improper refrigeration, and there was no documentation of individual food item temperatures being checked during the affected days. Multiple staff members, including the Administrator, DON, Dietician, and Food Service Supervisor (FSS), were either unaware of the refrigerator's malfunction or did not take appropriate action to ensure food safety. The FSS and dietary staff indicated that food was served from the refrigerator during the days with danger zone temperature readings, and there was no evidence that food was discarded until after the refrigerator was repaired. The facility's policy required discarding food stored at improper temperatures, but this was not consistently followed. Additionally, the Dietician was not notified of the refrigerator issue, and staff had not received training on danger zone temperatures or corrective actions until after the surveyor's entrance. Residents with compromised immune systems and other vulnerabilities were among those who consumed food potentially stored at unsafe temperatures. Interviews with residents indicated that they ate the food provided and did not report significant gastrointestinal symptoms during the week in question. However, the lack of proper food storage and handling placed all residents at risk for food contamination and foodborne illness, as identified by the surveyors.