Multiple Food Service Sanitation and Hand Hygiene Failures in Kitchen and Dining Areas
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves multiple failures in kitchen sanitation and food handling practices observed during a survey. Surveyors observed that the only designated handwashing sink in the dishwashing room did not have hand towels readily available, contrary to FDA Food Code requirements for hand drying provisions. In the dining room, the hand sink was leaking cold water, and the dietitian reported that the faucet had been repaired the prior week for the same issue, indicating the plumbing system was not maintained in good repair. Additional observations showed that the ventilation hood system over the cookline was not properly maintained. Filters were missing from the face of the hood ventilation system, and the dietitian stated the filters had been out for cleaning since several days prior and that the hood was not operational, then turned the hood off. This condition did not meet FDA Food Code requirements that ventilation hood systems be sufficient in number and capacity to prevent grease or condensation from collecting on walls and ceilings. Surveyors also identified improper food storage, expired products, and inadequate hand hygiene and dish sanitization practices. Resident food stored in the pantry refrigerator included a foam takeout container with an orange/brown sauce dated beyond the facility’s stated 3-day holding policy for time/temperature controlled for safety food. A Vital therapeutic nutrition supplement with an expiration date already passed was found on shelving with other therapeutic nutrition products. Kitchen personnel were observed handling clean dishes after other tasks without washing their hands, removing gloves and donning new ones without handwashing, and leaving and re-entering the kitchen to resume food preparation without washing hands, contrary to FDA Food Code handwashing requirements. The dish machine’s sanitizing rinse failed to reach the required 180°F at the gauge and 160°F plate surface temperature, with a DishTemp plate registering only 146°F, which did not meet FDA Food Code standards for hot water sanitization temperatures.
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