Unclean Kitchen Vents Over Food Prep and Dishwashing Areas
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s failure to maintain cleanliness of the kitchen, food preparation area, and dish storage area in accordance with professional standards. During an initial kitchen tour, a large metal box-style vent located above and to the right of a rack of clean plate covers was observed with vent grates covered in dust and several pieces of a white flaky substance. A kitchen staff member confirmed that dust and flaky material from this vent could fall onto the clean dishes and cause contamination. On a follow-up tour, surveyors observed ductwork with three vents running across the width of the kitchen over food preparation areas and dishwashing stations, with all three vent registers covered in dark substances and dust. The kitchen manager acknowledged that the dark substance and dust on these vents had the potential to contaminate food preparation and dishwashing areas and was unable to state when the vents were last cleaned. The maintenance supervisor also confirmed that the kitchen vents needed to be cleaned.
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