F0812

F

Unsanitary Beverage Service and Improper Food Storage and Handling

Casa Blanca, New Mexico Survey Completed on 03-12-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves failure to store, prepare, and serve food and beverages under sanitary conditions. During a dining service observation, an RN was seen serving drinks to residents while gripping cups by the rim with bare hands on multiple occasions. In a subsequent interview, the RN reported having worked at the facility for six months and stated he had not received specific training related to dining service and distributing drinks to residents, although he acknowledged that cups should not be gripped from the top and should be handed to residents by holding the side. The Food Service Director later confirmed that her expectation is that staff assisting with dining service do not touch the rim of cups when serving, and that cups should be held by the side to avoid cross contamination and infection.

A follow-up kitchen tour revealed multiple food storage and sanitation issues. Surveyors observed 21 cans of corn in dry storage with an expiration date of 12/28/2025, a cracked 6-lb container of frozen sliced strawberries left open to air in the freezer, and a 1-gallon container of whole milk past its expiration date that could not be sealed in the refrigerator. They also observed a 1-gallon container of Golden Italian dressing and a 1-gallon container of barbecue sauce with large amounts of spilled product on the sides of the containers in the refrigerator. In an interview, the Dietary Manager stated frozen foods should be discarded after one year in the freezer, staff are expected to check food expiration dates weekly, expired food must be discarded, and that the kitchen should not contain expired items, that food and beverages should be stored appropriately, and that spilled liquids should be cleaned.