Deficient Food Safety and Sanitation Practices in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in food safety and sanitation practices within the facility's kitchen, affecting 57 of 76 residents who received food prepared there. Staff were seen not performing proper hand hygiene, including instances where a kitchen aide wiped his nose with his fingers and then handled clean silverware and napkins for resident trays without washing his hands. The same aide was also observed putting on gloves without prior hand hygiene and repeatedly touching his face and arms without washing hands between tasks. Staff interviews confirmed a lack of understanding and adherence to hand hygiene protocols during meal service. Additional deficiencies included the absence of required beard coverings for food preparation staff, as both the dietary manager and a kitchen aide were observed preparing food without beard restraints. The sanitizing solution used for cleaning food thermometers was found to be at half the required concentration, and food-contact equipment was not properly cleaned, as evidenced by a food particle left in a supposedly clean immersion blender container. Furthermore, the kitchen environment was not maintained in a sanitary condition, with dust observed on shelves and pipes above food preparation areas, despite claims of daily and weekly cleaning schedules.