Deficiencies in Food Storage, Sanitation, and Infection Control
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility's food storage, preparation, and sanitation practices. In the walk-in cooler, expired beverages were not discarded, opened food items were not labeled or dated, and spoiled salad mix with discoloration was present. The cooler floor was found to be dirty with dried stains and debris. In the walk-in freezer, bags of potato wedges and bins of pre-packaged waffles and pancakes were not labeled or dated. The kitchen ice machine had a visible build-up of gray debris on both vents, and the maintenance director confirmed it was last cleaned 5 or 6 days prior. In the reach-in cooler, an undated bowl of potato salad was found, and in the dry storage room, expired thickened apple juice was present on the shelf. Additionally, infection control policies were not followed when a dietary aide failed to perform hand hygiene after handling dirty dishes and before touching clean items in the kitchen. Interviews with the Dietary Manager and Administrator confirmed that staff were expected to label and date all opened food items, discard expired products, maintain cleanliness, and perform proper hand hygiene, but these expectations were not met during the survey observations.