F0812

E

Widespread Kitchen Sanitation, Food Storage, and Hand Hygiene Failures in Dietary Services

Weatherford, Texas Survey Completed on 02-12-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to store, label, and date food properly, and to maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen, refrigerators, freezers, and pantry. During a kitchen observation, surveyors found a white Styrofoam container with a gray liquid substance in a side-by-side refrigerator with no label or date, and a large Ziplock bag of sliced turkey also without a label, date, or use-by date. In a large side-by-side freezer, there were two plastic bags of yellow sliced bread and three clear bags of small green Brussels sprouts, all lacking labels, dates, or use-by dates, as well as a clear plastic bag of small yellow pancakes with ice crystals and no label or date. In another refrigerator at the front of the kitchen, a plastic container of purple jelly had no label or date and the lid could not be properly sealed. In the pantry, large plastic containers of corn flakes and fruit loop cereal were observed with lids that did not fit properly and could not be sealed.

The facility also failed to maintain clean floors, food-contact surfaces, and equipment in the pantry and kitchen. The pantry floor was black and sticky in the middle area, with lighter tiles under the shelves, and the same black substance extended into the hall outside the pantry toward the back door. A liquid substance was observed seeping from under the back of the stove, which felt greasy and appeared cloudy, and there was grease buildup with unknown particles between the stove and fryer. The window sill above the sink had stains and dirt buildup. An industrial toaster had a large amount of toast crust caked on the bars of the top and bottom trays. The back of the stove had burnt stains and was greasy to the touch, and when the stove was pulled out, the stove trap contained a black, crusty substance on old, used tinfoil. A tray holding dishes on a shelf contained crumbs of an unknown source next to clean dishes intended for service.

The facility further failed to ensure kitchen staff followed proper hand hygiene, glove use, and hair restraint practices while handling and serving food. One staff member removed gloves and donned a new pair without washing hands, then continued scooping food at the serving table. A Dietary Aide cut plastic wrap off a pumpkin pie, rinsed scissors under the faucet, handled multiple cardboard pie boxes, opened and closed a 55-gallon trash container, and then returned to place glasses on a serving tray without changing gloves or washing hands. The same aide later picked up cups while gloved, rubbed her ear, and pushed her hair back before continuing to handle cups; her hairnet did not fit properly, with a large amount of hair hanging out and several strands extending about three inches on one side, and about two inches of hair exposed across her temple. Another staff member at the holding and serving stations repeatedly handled bread rolls and plates, touched the eating surfaces of plates with fingers and full palm, touched the side of her nose and her sleeve, and continued to handle plates and food items such as broccoli without washing hands or changing gloves. In interviews, staff acknowledged they had been trained on proper sanitation and hand washing, including washing hands between glove changes and not touching food with hands, but stated they forgot, were nervous, or were unaware they needed to wash hands when changing gloves. The Dietary Manager and Administrator both stated that the observed practices, including unlabeled food, lack of cleaning, improper hand hygiene, and touching food, did not meet their expectations and were unacceptable.

Record review showed that facility policies required food to be stored in clean, dry, contaminant-free areas, with opened packages placed in plastic containers with tight-fitting covers or sealable bags, and all containers or bags legibly and accurately labeled and dated. Leftovers were to be stored in covered containers, clearly labeled and dated before refrigeration. Policies on cleaning and sanitation required a posted cleaning schedule for all cleaning tasks, with staff initialing tasks as completed and being held accountable for cleaning assignments. The sanitization policy required all kitchens, kitchen areas, and dining areas to be kept clean, and all equipment, food-contact surfaces, and utensils to be cleaned using heat or chemical sanitizing solutions. The hand washing policy required employees to wash hands as frequently as needed, including before food preparation, when entering the kitchen at the start of a shift, after touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and wrists, after handling soiled equipment or utensils, during food preparation as often as necessary to prevent cross-contamination when changing tasks, and before donning disposable gloves for working with food and after gloves are removed. The observed conditions and staff actions did not comply with these written policies.