Unsanitary Kitchen Equipment and Food Storage/Preparation Areas
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to store and prepare food under safe and sanitary conditions in the kitchen, affecting all 92 residents who received food from this area. During an initial kitchen observation, surveyors noted numerous food splatters of various colors on the floor near the doorway, brown and black grease buildup on the side of the steamer, and black and brown splatter marks along the floor between the stove and steam warmer, including a bun top lying face up on the floor between these appliances. The bottom of the left oven had thick, burnt-on black buildup approximately the thickness of a pencil eraser, and the oven face had a thick black grease streak running down the front. Additional grease streaks were observed on the right side of the griddle. The prep table in front of the stove had multiple food particles, including shredded cheese and breadcrumbs, scattered throughout the storage shelves. An open container used to store pot lids contained dried egg, sausage pieces, and shredded cheese mixed in with the lids. The Dietary Manager reported that the stove was cleaned weekly, ovens monthly, and floors were supposed to be swept nightly. A follow-up kitchen observation showed that unsanitary conditions persisted. Numerous food substances, including honey-colored, black, dark brown, red, and light pink dried liquids and splatters, were present on the floor in multiple areas, including near the door frame, behind the prep table, next to the bread cart, and in front of the flour container. A dried yellow food substance about the size of a tennis ball was observed on the floor near the trash can by the hand-washing station. The oven face still had the thick black grease streak, and the bottom of the left oven continued to have the same burnt-on black buildup. Dark brown and black food splatters and grease marks remained on the floor between the stove, steamer, and wall. Review of the facility’s weekly cleaning schedule and AM/PM aide cleaning lists showed that equipment and surfaces were scheduled for regular cleaning, and a facility policy on kitchen equipment preventative maintenance required burner tops and fryers to be kept free of buildup. However, despite documented schedules and logs, the observed conditions demonstrated that kitchen equipment and floors were not maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
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