Improper Storage of Refrigerated Produce: During a kitchen tour, surveyors found a bin in the walk-in cooler with six whole green bell peppers and a cut half head of romaine lettuce that were not labeled with received or use-by dates. The cut lettuce was in its original bag with the cut surface exposed and the bag not fully closed. S3DSC confirmed the produce should have been fully covered and labeled.
Failure to use beard restraints in the food prep area. Two male employees with beards and mustaches were observed serving the morning meal without beard restraints. The FSD and ADM confirmed that staff with facial hair should have worn beard restraints while working in the kitchen area.
Failure to Document Food Temperatures for Each Meal: Dietary staff did not document food temperatures for every meal before tray assembly, despite facility policy requiring temperature logs for each food item and milk at every meal. During lunch, two residents reported their meals were not warm, and the Dietary Mgr confirmed only a few menu cycle logs were available, with no records for many meals before and after the limited documentation provided. The ADM also confirmed staff were expected to keep these records and were not trained on the new documentation process until after the system change.
Unsanitary Mobile Kitchen Food Handling and Storage: In a mobile kitchen used for resident meal prep, a dish towel was left on the counter without sanitizing solution, food prep surfaces and stored pots/pans were dirty, insects were observed near and in food items, uncovered foods were left on counters, and a cleaner/degreaser spray bottle was stored above resident food items. The 3-compartment sink drainage pipe was misaligned, causing liquid with debris to leak onto the floor.
The facility failed to keep the kitchen sanitary during meal prep and failed to store dishware properly. Surveyors observed uncovered pans of cornbread on the serving table beneath dusty ceiling tiles and a dusty vent, and they also found plates in the plate warmer, saucers, and plate covers stored right side up and uncovered instead of inverted or covered.
Raw chicken was stored in Cooler a in shallow trays with the bags hanging over the edge, allowing bloody liquid to drip onto the cooler floor and down the shelf wheels, with pooled liquid observed over multiple shifts. The Executive Chef confirmed the liquid was raw chicken juice and stated it should have been contained in a leak proof container; the Administrator also stated the cooler should have been maintained in a sanitary manner.
Improper Food Storage and Sanitation: Surveyors observed opened food items in the kitchen refrigerator that were undated and unlabeled, including fries, fish, and hotdog buns. The refrigerator also contained unsanitary and/or expired items, including cracked eggs and discolored lettuce. The Dietary Supervisor, ADON, and DON confirmed the items should not have been stored in that condition or made available for resident consumption.
Food storage, sanitation, and meal monitoring were not maintained according to professional standards. Surveyors observed ice scoops stored improperly, unlabeled and improperly stored food in dry storage, the walk-in cooler, and the walk-in freezer, a deep fryer with heavy debris and food residue, and staff pureeing foods without gloves. The facility also had missing temperature logs for multiple breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals, which the ADM confirmed should have been documented.
Food Service Safety Deficiency: The kitchen failed to follow professional food service standards when serving lunch items and alternate diets. Staff did not take steam table temperatures on multiple foods before service, and a Dietary staff member used bare hands to place cake into a blender for a pureed dessert. A Cook also handled bread, cheese, lettuce, turkey, tomato, and grated cheese with bare hands while making grilled cheese sandwiches and a chef salad.
Improper sanitizer levels and unsanitary kitchen pantry conditions. Culinary staff were observed using a 3-compartment sink with QA sanitizer that tested at 0 ppm because the container was empty, and the dishwasher rinse water and dishes tested at 10 ppm despite the required chlorine range of 50-100 ppm. The kitchen food storage pantry also had an unknown wet black grainy substance along the left wall floor, and no kitchen cleaning schedule was posted.
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