F0812

E

Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Storage, Preparation, and Safe Temperatures in House Kitchen

Loveland, Ohio Survey Completed on 03-26-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in food storage, preparation, and sanitation practices in House Five’s kitchen affecting 21 residents who received food from that kitchen. Observation of the refrigerator showed an undated and uncovered pitcher of pink liquid and a piece of cardboard from a drink box used to hold the water dispenser shut. The freezer contained two undated medical ice packs, two undated gallon bags of ice with ice crystals, and an undated, open loaf of gluten-free bread exposed to air. In the pantry, a bucket full of dirty wash cloths was stored next to a shelf holding potatoes, and the pantry freezer and multiple cabinets and drawers (including those containing a crock pot, skillet, mixing bowl, cutting board, and measuring cups) had a brown substance on them. The dietary technician present confirmed these observations.

Further observations showed the House Five kitchen dishwasher was operating below required sanitizing temperatures, with a wash temperature of 148°F and a rinse temperature of 175°F, which the dietary technician acknowledged were below the expected 160°F wash and 180°F rinse. During meal service, a CNA measured sausage being held at 127.6°F, below the facility’s policy requirement that hot foods be maintained at 135°F or higher, and confirmed this temperature. On another observation of meal preparation, a CNA was cooking eggs and bacon on an electric skillet without wearing a hair net, despite having her hair in a ponytail, and confirmed she was not wearing a hair net. These conditions collectively demonstrated failure to store and prepare food in a sanitary manner, to ensure proper dishwasher temperatures, and to maintain hot foods at safe holding temperatures for residents served from House Five’s kitchen.