Food Service Sanitation and Equipment Cleaning Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety, as evidenced by multiple observations and staff interviews. During kitchen inspections, surveyors observed a stainless-steel stockpot filled with cooked mashed potatoes placed near a red sanitation bucket containing used cleaning towels and sanitation chemicals. The commercial ice machine and the commercial countertop water and ice dispenser machine were found to have significant brown and white residue buildup, including slime and small white particles in drainage areas. These unsanitary conditions were repeatedly observed on multiple days, with the ice machine's interior and exterior surfaces showing persistent dirt, grime, and slime. Dietary staff were seen using cleaning towels from the red sanitation bucket to wipe down food preparation counters, with the towels being repeatedly dipped into the bucket and causing splashes near areas where food was being prepared. The red sanitation bucket was consistently kept on top of the food preparation counter, in close proximity to both food and clean dishes, despite staff acknowledging that spillage or splashes from the bucket could be harmful if they came into contact with food or dishes. Staff interviews revealed that the cleaning water in the buckets was changed each shift, but the placement of the bucket was not considered a concern by the dietary manager, even though other staff kept similar buckets under counters away from food and clean dishes. The facility's cleaning and maintenance practices for kitchen equipment were inconsistent and inadequately documented. The dietary manager stated that deep cleaning of the commercial ice machine was performed monthly but was not logged, and maintenance staff reported only performing work on the ice machine every six months. There was confusion and lack of clarity regarding the process for reporting and tracking maintenance issues, with verbal requests being made in morning meetings and not always entered into the maintenance software. Requested documentation of work orders and invoices for ice machine servicing was not provided. Facility policies required that equipment and food contact surfaces be maintained in a clean and sanitized condition, but these standards were not met, as evidenced by the observed accumulation of soil residues and improper storage of cleaning materials.