Deficient Food Storage, Preparation, and Sanitation Practices in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility's main kitchen regarding food storage, preparation, and cleanliness. Specifically, an open cardboard box containing a plastic bag of breakfast sausages was found in the walk-in refrigerator, exposed to air and lacking labeling or dating. The ice cream freezer in the dry storage closet had sticky and crusted material on its doors and handles, and a stainless steel pan of cooked bacon, covered in plastic wrap and dated the previous day, was stored inside the facility oven. Additionally, the dairy refrigerator contained several gallons of milk and quarts of buttermilk that were past their sell-by dates, some of which were open and partially used. The lowest shelf of the dairy refrigerator was also covered in a crusted white substance. Interviews with dietary staff and management confirmed that expired dairy products should have been discarded, hazardous foods needed to be properly stored, labeled, and dated, and that stainless steel equipment should be cleaned daily. Staff acknowledged that there was no current daily or deep cleaning schedule, nor a process for daily audits or checks on expired or improperly stored foods. Facility policy required all food items in refrigerators to be properly dated, labeled, and placed in containers with lids, and for equipment to be kept clean, but these procedures were not followed.