Food storage and kitchen sanitation deficiencies were identified when the walk-in refrigerator was observed at 49 degrees F on two occasions, above the facility’s stated range, and milk served on a lunch meal test tray was 48 degrees F after being sent to the units before the meal trays arrived. Surveyors also observed the ice machine with cracked plastic, a frayed door seal, and dust on the filter and vents, while the last documented cleaning was months earlier.
Unsanitary kitchen conditions and improper food handling: The kitchen had dust, debris, and visible contamination in multiple areas, including vents, a fan blowing onto clean dishes, and mold and water dripping behind equipment. Multiple food items in dry storage, refrigerators, and the freezer were open without dates or labels, and during meal service an aide handled ready-to-eat food with contaminated gloves, touched multiple surfaces and the floor, and returned to food prep without handwashing.
Unsanitary food storage and improper glove use during food preparation. A box of rice was left open to air in dry storage, wet pans and wet warming bases were stored on racks, and a DDM prepared a toasted cheese sandwich while touching multiple surfaces and her clothing without changing gloves or washing hands before handling the bread. An expired box of iced tea was also found connected to the drink dispensing system.
Kitchen sanitation and food storage were not maintained in a clean, sanitary manner: staff lacked hair nets, floors in food prep and storage areas were dirty, expired and opened foods were found in active use, eggs with cracked shells were leaking onto items below, and food was stored on the freezer floor with ice buildup and condensation in the cooler. The facility also used an incorrect scoop size for carrots, substituted salad when carrots ran out, served a meal that did not match the menu because items were unavailable, and staff had no menu substitution log; food temp logs were also missing for multiple meal-service periods.
Kitchen Sanitation and Food Storage Deficiencies: Surveyors observed food debris, paper towel pieces, dirt, an unknown yellow substance in the microwave, charred debris on the stove, dried substance and splatters on the refrigerator, and broken plastic pieces and dirt in dry storage. A scoop was also stored inside the flour bin, and the Dietary Director stated the kitchen entry area was only cleaned once per month despite the cleaning checklist showing all items completed.
The facility failed to ensure food was prepared and served in a sanitary manner. A staff member handled bread without gloves and touched multiple slices, while other touched slices remained in the bag. The food prep area had dust, debris, and food splatters, and another staff member was observed handling tongs over chicken barehanded before the chicken was still served. The DM confirmed the findings.
Undated food items were observed during a kitchen tour, including multiple bags of hamburger buns, a half loaf of bread, a half full bag of Asian stir-fry, and two bags of tater tots. A CSM confirmed the undated items, and the facility policy stated that foods should be dated upon opening.
Unsafe Food Storage and Unsanitary Kitchen Conditions: The dietary area had multiple open and undated dry goods, uncovered mashed potato mix, hard boiled eggs held at room temperature, dirty floors and cooler fans, rust and debris in the walk-in cooler, unlabeled and undated meat, dirty utensil containers, a dirty can opener blade, and expired nectar thickened milk. The DM verified the findings, and facility policy required food to be covered, labeled, dated, and equipment to be clean and sanitary.
Kitchen sanitation and food labeling failures were observed when staff found unlabeled and improperly dated food items, dirty shelving and equipment, dust buildup on vents, and debris behind the ice machine. Moldy strawberries were found in the walk-in refrigerator, and a rotting, moldy wall near the dishwasher area was associated with a strong odor and fruit flies.
Food storage and refrigeration deficiencies were identified when the dry storage pantry had a strong sewage odor from an open floor drainpipe and the walk-in cooler was found at 42 degrees with only one fan working. The DM stated the drain odor had been present for months and that the cooler fan had been broken for two weeks or longer. During meal service, canned beets and fruit cocktail held in the cooler were measured at 53.2 degrees and 49.0 degrees, respectively, after several hours in the cooler.
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