Food Storage, Equipment Sanitation, and Damaged Food Handling Deficiencies in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple food safety deficiencies in the facility’s kitchen related to storage, equipment condition, and sanitation. During kitchen sanitation inspections, refrigeration units labeled A, B, and C did not contain internal thermometers to verify that the external temperature gauges accurately reflected safe internal food storage temperatures. The [NAME] reported that staff relied solely on the external thermometers and did not verify temperatures with thermometers inside the units. In dry storage, surveyors observed several large canned food items with dents located on or just above the bottom rim, including cans of garbanzo beans, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken and dumplings, which were not separated from other foodstuffs as required by facility policy and state and FDA Food Codes. Surveyors also observed that several food-contact items and equipment were not maintained in a sanitary or safe condition. Red, white, and green cutting boards stored on a bottom shelf were heavily scored, contrary to FDA Food Code requirements that such surfaces be durable, smooth, easily cleanable, and either resurfaced or discarded when no longer effectively cleanable. A manual can opener across from the three-compartment sink had excessive greasy buildup and unknown debris and paper on it. In an interview, the Dietary Manager stated that damaged foodstuffs were supposed to be separated and returned to the vendor, cutting boards should have been replaced when heavily scored, damaged food preparation items were to be discarded and replaced, food was expected to be free of foreign substances, and the can opener was expected to be cleaned in the dishwasher after each meal. These observations and statements showed the facility did not follow its own food safety policy or applicable food code standards.
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