Unclean Nourishment Refrigerator and Ice Machine Surfaces
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves failure to store and serve food and beverages in accordance with professional food safety standards for one pantry refrigerator and one ice machine. During an observation with the registered dietitian, the Flowers unit nourishment refrigerator was found to have dried yellow and red liquids on the bottom shelf, and the dietitian acknowledged that the refrigerator needed to be cleaned. Review of the ice machine equipment manual indicated that the machine should be cleaned and sanitized at least every six months, and that an extremely dirty ice machine must be taken apart for cleaning and sanitizing. In a separate observation with an LPN, the Lily Lane ice machine was found to have pink and black substances on the baffle/deflector, as well as a black substance on the inside top panel, drip tray, and bottom rim of the cover in front of the evaporator grid; these substances could be wiped away with a dry paper towel. Maintenance staff reported that someone had touched the ice and that he was in the process of emptying and cleaning the machine, but he was unsure of the name of the chemical he used to clean it. The Director of Operations stated that the ice machines were on a six‑month cleaning schedule, and documentation showed the Lily Lane ice machine had been inspected on two prior dates. The Nursing Home Administrator stated that the refrigerator and ice machine should be clean.
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