Deficient Food Storage, Temperature Monitoring, and Probe Sanitization
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple failures in the facility's food service operations, specifically regarding the storage, preparation, and serving of food. During an observation, three sealed plastic containers containing cheesecake, mashed potatoes, and carrots were found in the walk-in refrigerator without any labels or dates. Staff confirmed these items were from the previous day's service and acknowledged the lack of labeling and dating. The dietary manager was not aware of these unlabeled items until after the surveyors' discovery, and subsequent inspection by the dietary manager revealed additional unlabeled food items. Record reviews showed that food temperatures were not documented for several meals over multiple days. The temperature logs lacked staff names, initials, signatures, or times, making it unclear who was responsible for checking and recording food temperatures. Staff interviews revealed that food temperatures were sometimes not taken due to being busy, and there was a habit among staff to write temperatures on separate pieces of paper without transferring them to the official log. The dietary manager admitted to not providing formal training on labeling food or logging temperatures, instead relying on reminders. Additionally, improper sanitization practices were observed. A staff member was seen using Sani-Cloth germicidal wipes, which are not food-safe, to clean the food thermometer probe between food items. Both the dietary manager and the registered dietitian confirmed that Sani-Cloths should not be used for this purpose, as they are not food grade and could contaminate food. The registered dietitian had previously reported issues with unlabeled food and incomplete temperature logs to facility leadership, but these issues persisted at the time of the survey.