Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Handling and Storage Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was prepared, distributed, and served under sanitary conditions in the main kitchen. During lunch meal service, kitchen staff were observed handling ready-to-eat foods with gloved hands that had also been used to touch non-food items such as meal tickets, serving utensils, and equipment handles. Staff did not change gloves or perform hand hygiene between tasks, and gloved hands were used to touch both food and potentially contaminated surfaces. Additionally, one staff member wiped food residue from a glove onto the inner rim of a steam table bin containing food, further compromising food safety. Observations in the main kitchen's walk-in refrigerator revealed a persistent patch of green-grey mold on the floor near the freezer door, which remained present over several days despite staff awareness. Baking sheets used to hold cheese products were found with small spots of mold along their edges and corners. Although the baking sheets were eventually cleaned, the mold on the refrigerator floor was not addressed in a timely manner, and staff interviews indicated that deep cleaning of the refrigerator had been delayed due to staffing shortages and equipment issues. Facility policies required the use of single-use gloves for one task only, with gloves to be discarded after each use and hand hygiene performed between glove changes. Policies also mandated that food be stored in clean, dry locations and that all kitchen surfaces and equipment be kept clean and in good repair. Despite these policies, staff practices and the condition of the kitchen environment did not meet these standards, resulting in the deficiencies cited.