F0812

F

Food Service Sanitation and Pest Control Deficiencies in Kitchen

Dubuque, Iowa Survey Completed on 02-12-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The facility failed to procure, store, prepare, and serve food in accordance with professional sanitation standards, resulting in multiple instances of potential physical contamination in the kitchen. During several kitchen observations, multiple dietary staff, including the Dietary Director, cooks, and dietary aides, wore hairnets that did not fully contain their hair, leaving 1–3 inches of hair exposed over the ears and at the back of the head. Staff interviews confirmed that hair was expected to be fully covered and that hairnets should be worn immediately upon entering the kitchen, but the Dietary Director acknowledged she was not aware her own hair was outside the hairnet until it was pointed out.

Surveyors also observed significant cleanliness issues in food storage and preparation areas. In the freezer, whipped cream was sprayed on the right wall and had not been cleaned for several months, despite the Dietary Director knowing about it. In dry storage, there was dry cereal on the floor under and around racks, a plate storage unit with a white granular and clear sticky substance on it, and multiple yellowish-orange splotches under pasta, spices, and baking product shelves. The ice machine had an off‑white film under the door and a sticky brown/orange substance on the inside rim. A blue paper attached to a work surface with tape and plastic left behind a sticky residue and visibly soiled tape and paper when removed.

Floor sanitation and pest control issues were also documented. Dead cockroaches and debris were observed under the pots and pans shelf, sanitizing sink, and dish machine on multiple days, and staff acknowledged seeing both live and dead roaches in the kitchen recently. Cleaning logs for the kitchen and dish room floors showed that out of 112 scheduled AM and PM cleaning opportunities in January, floors were documented as swept/washed only 34 times, with numerous days showing no entries for any cleaning tasks and deep cleaning completed only 3 of 36 opportunities. The Dietary Director later acknowledged that the January and February cleaning sheets were not completed accurately and appeared to show the kitchen was not being cleaned. Pest control confirmed ongoing treatments since November, continued findings of live and dead roaches in the kitchen, and identified the kitchen as the source of the infestation. Facility policies required that food service areas be kept clean, free of debris and pests, and that staff wear hair restraints to prevent contamination, but these standards were not met.