Lack of Certified Food Protection Manager Coverage During Meal Service
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that support personnel in the food and nutrition services possessed the required competencies and credentials to safely carry out their duties, specifically by not having a certified Food Protection Manager in charge during all meal preparation and service times. Surveyors reviewed the 2022 FDA Food Code, Section 2-102.11, which requires the person in charge to be a certified Food Protection Manager who has passed an accredited program. During an initial kitchen tour, a cook identified as the staff member in charge of food service for the breakfast meal, and the Food Service Director (FSD) later confirmed that the two cooks who prepared and served that breakfast only held Food Handlers Certifications, not Food Manager's Certifications. Further record review of dietary schedules for February and March 2026 showed multiple dates on which no staff member with a Food Manager's Certification was scheduled during one or more of the three daily meals, despite prepared meals being delivered to units during defined breakfast, lunch, and dinner timeframes. The FSD, in the presence of the Regional FSD, acknowledged that only 2 of the 4 cooks on staff had obtained the required Food Manager's Certification and that the facility's staffing schedules included periods when no certified Food Manager was present during meal preparation and service. This lack of appropriately certified personnel during active food preparation and service constituted the deficiency identified by surveyors.
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