F0812

F

Improper Milk Storage Temperatures and Unsanitary Kitchen Conditions

Hazel Crest, Illinois Survey Completed on 08-14-2025

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies in the facility’s dietary services related to food storage temperatures and sanitation practices in the kitchen. During a kitchen observation with the Dietary Manager, debris from a grease trap backup was seen on the kitchen floor near the wall; the Dietary Manager stated this backup happens frequently and that Maintenance had been aware of it for a long time. The air vent/vent return above the food preparation table was observed with accumulated dust. The ice machine had visible dirt on its left, right, and front sides, was overflowing with ice, and its broken cover was lying on wet blankets placed on the floor to catch dripping water. The food mixer, which was covered with transparent plastic wrap, had accumulated food particles on it, and the Dietary Manager acknowledged it should have been cleaned before being covered.

The surveyors also found that milk was not being stored at appropriate refrigerated temperatures. The milk cooler thermometer read 55°F, and after calibrating a new thermometer, two of twelve 8‑oz whole milk cartons that had been in the cooler for four days were measured at 51°F; the Dietary Manager stated milk should be stored at less than 41°F. Facility resident council minutes from two separate monthly meetings documented resident complaints about spoiled milk. Facility policies on food storage and dietary services required perishable foods, including dairy products and eggs, to be stored between 33°F and 41°F, and required that food equipment, ice machines, and floor surfaces be cleaned and sanitized daily and maintained to prevent contamination. At the time of the survey, 159 residents were receiving oral nutrition from the facility’s kitchen, and the cited conditions were present in the kitchen and food service areas.