F0812

F

Unsanitary Food Preparation, Storage, and Dishwashing Practices

Lemont, Illinois Survey Completed on 08-21-2025

Penalty

Fine: $22,260

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen and dishwashing areas for all 97 residents who receive food prepared there. During an initial kitchen tour, surveyors observed a food processor lid with orange-colored debris on the inside; the cook reported this processor is used to prepare mechanically soft foods. Shelving under a prep area that stored foil, plastic wrap, pan liners, and sandwich bags had food particles, dust, and grime. The deep fryer contained oil with blackened substances and food remnants, and there were food debris and spills on the sides of the oven near the fryer and extensive food spills and debris under the stoves. The cook stated the fryer was last used several days earlier and is cleaned twice weekly, with the next cleaning not yet due. In the dish room, shelving on a free-standing rack holding inverted pots and pans had a brownish substance that appeared to be rust.

In the walk-in cooler, surveyors observed cases of orange and apple juice stored directly on the floor under shelving; the executive chef explained these juices had been moved there temporarily from the walk-in freezer due to a fan motor issue. Later the same day, a cook was seen preparing mechanical soft chicken in the same food processor previously noted to have orange-colored residue on the lid. When questioned, the cook removed the rubber lining and stated the substance appeared to be remnants of pureed carrots and that the lid was old and needed replacement. Ceiling tiles above the pureed meal prep area and other meal prep counters had extensive blackish substance and dust bunnies. The director of dining services acknowledged seeing rust on the shelving and stated that the food processor should have been cleaned and sanitized before being used to prepare the mechanical soft chicken.

On a subsequent visit, the deep fryer and surrounding areas still had food debris and spills, and the ceiling tiles above food prep areas continued to have extensive blackish substance and dust bunnies. The executive chef reported that dishes for the first floor were being washed in the assisted living dish room because the main dish room was under construction. When the dish machine was started, the wash gauge read 140°F and the rinse gauge 160°F, although the chef stated it was a high-temperature machine and the rinse should normally be 180°F. When asked about test strips to verify sanitation, the chef was unable to locate them and indicated they typically used a digital monitor that was not present. The assisted living dishwasher stated the digital monitor had not been available for two months, that he only completed dish machine logs for the dinner meal, and that no one else logged temperatures for other meals. The posted dish machine temperature log showed rinse temperatures between 155–175°F for most entries in July and August and was completed for only one meal per day. Facility policies required food contact surfaces to be cleaned and sanitized after every use, foods to be stored at least six inches off the floor, and high-temperature dish machines to reach minimum wash and rinse temperatures and be monitored and documented at each meal, which was not followed in these observations.