Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Handling and Storage Practices
Penalty
Summary
Facility kitchen staff failed to follow sanitary practices and safe food storage procedures, affecting all residents who receive oral nutrition from the kitchen. Observations included improper handling of thermometer probes, such as dropping a probe cover on the floor and placing it on a prep table without cleaning, using an uncleaned probe to check food temperatures, and using an alcohol wipe to push food off a probe back into a tray. Staff also failed to wear hair restraints properly, leaving hair exposed during food preparation, and left pureed food items uncovered on the steam table before service. Additional deficiencies were noted in food storage and labeling. In the walk-in cooler, a bag of pulled turkey lacked an expiration, use-by, or thaw date, and was fully thawed. Moldy and spoiled produce, including a zucchini with white fuzzy spots and green peppers with black, mushy areas, were found stored with other food. In dry storage, a scoop for thickener was left uncovered and exposed to environmental contaminants, and prune juice bottles past their best-by date were still present. Staff interviews confirmed that these practices did not align with facility policies for food labeling, storage, and sanitation. Facility policies require proper thawing, labeling, and storage of food items, as well as the use of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils. Staff acknowledged that food items past expiration or best-by dates should be removed, vegetables with visible spoilage should not be stored, and hair restraints must cover all hair. The observed failures to follow these procedures resulted in unsanitary conditions and improper food handling in the kitchen.