Repeat Deficiency in Food Storage and Sanitation Practices
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple instances of improper food storage and unsanitary food handling practices in the facility's kitchen and food storage areas. In the dry food storage area, several food items were found to be expired, including gluten free pasta, baking mix, and pasta, as well as thickened juice products that were not discarded within the required timeframe after opening. The Dietary Staff Member confirmed that these items should have been discarded and acknowledged their expired status. In the walk-in refrigerator, two packages of deli ham were stored on a tray with raw hamburger and were sitting in raw meat juices, while in the walk-in freezer, a box of hamburger patties was left open and unsealed. The staff member confirmed that ready-to-eat foods should not be stored with or on raw meat and that open food containers should be sealed. Additional observations in the kitchen area included preparation trays, cups, and dishes being stored while still wet (wet nesting) and a floor fan facing the food preparation area that was covered with dust and debris. The Dietary Staff Member confirmed these unsanitary conditions. These findings represent a failure to store food safely and maintain sanitary conditions for food handling, as required by professional standards. This deficiency has been cited in the facility's previous three recertification surveys.