The improper testing method was just one of several kitchen safety violations inspectors documented at the 97-bed nursing home on West Bernardo Drive. Staff used incorrect procedures for testing sanitizing solutions, lacked knowledge of proper food cooling techniques, and hadn't received required food safety training for years.
During the June 4 kitchen tour, Dishwasher Dietary Aide 1 showed inspectors how he tested chlorine solution levels in the low-temperature dish machine. He dipped test strips into the top end opening of the dishwasher door and also into the tank holding the machine solution. The aide told inspectors both methods would give accurate readings of the sanitizer solution.
The next day, another dietary aide demonstrated similarly flawed testing procedures. Dietary Aide 2 dipped an ammonia test strip into a red sanitizing bucket for 16 seconds, then announced the reading was 300-400 parts per million. He used the red buckets with sanitizer to wipe food prep counter surfaces, food carts, and the production sink. But he didn't write down test results on a log sheet and didn't know where results should be recorded. He only logged sanitizer levels when working in residential dining areas.
A third worker, Dietary Aide 3, was cleaning pots and pans at the three-compartment sink when inspectors observed him testing sanitation levels. His strip test showed results at 300 parts per million. He told inspectors it should be 200 and said he would need to tell management because the level wasn't where it should be.
The Dietary Supervisor and Registered Dietitian told inspectors that a contractor had provided in-service training to kitchen staff on proper use of test strips for sanitizer solutions. They expected staff to follow correct procedures for testing sanitizer levels in both the dish machine and red sanitizer buckets.
Federal Food and Drug Administration guidelines require that sanitizing solution concentration be accurately determined using appropriate testing devices. But facility sanitation logs showed gaps in record-keeping. The dishwasher machine sanitizing solution strength log for June showed no recorded testing or signatures for the morning shift on June 5. Red bucket sanitizer test results from June 1 through June 4 were recorded as 200 parts per million.
Kitchen staff also lacked basic knowledge of food safety procedures. Cook 1 told inspectors he didn't always cook meats, but if he did, he would use a cool-down process. He described cooking meat to 170 degrees, then cooling it to 41 degrees in four hours. He used a blast chiller machine to cool foods but didn't know how long the process took. If the blast chiller wasn't working, he said he would have to use an alternative cool-down process.
The cook's understanding fell short of federal food safety standards. FDA guidelines specify that bacteria grows rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, making proper cooling essential to prevent bacterial growth. After reaching safe minimum cooking temperature above 145 degrees, food must reach 70 degrees or less within two hours, then 41 degrees or less within an additional four hours.
The facility's own policy outlined the correct cooling procedure. Potentially hazardous food should be cooled from 140 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours, then from 70 degrees to 41 degrees within an additional four hours, for a total cooling time of six hours.
The training failures extended to supervision. The Sous Chef, who conducted in-service training for kitchen sanitation, lacked Certified Dietary Manager credentials. The Registered Dietitian told inspectors that kitchen sanitation and food safety training should be provided by qualified staff, including a registered dietitian or certified dietary manager.
Documentation revealed the scope of the training gap. The Dietary Supervisor acknowledged that no specific kitchen staff in-services on food safety and sanitation topics had been conducted by qualified staff between January 2021 and January 2024. A review of the kitchen staff in-service binder showed no documentation of food safety and sanitation training from June 2019 until April 2024.
The only documented training during this period was a June 2021 session titled "Show Time" that covered cleaning refrigerator interiors, exteriors, and gaskets after lunch and dinner. This single session, conducted by the unqualified Sous Chef, represented the extent of food safety education provided to staff responsible for preparing meals for vulnerable nursing home residents.
Facility policy required in-service education for all food service personnel at least monthly, with topics including sanitation and foodborne illness prevention. The policy also mandated that food service personnel follow cleaning schedules and procedures, and emphasized that proper dishwashing and sanitizing was necessary to prevent foodborne diseases.
The violations affected residents at a facility that houses 50 medically vulnerable individuals across its 97 licensed beds. Improper sanitizing procedures and inadequate food safety knowledge among kitchen staff created conditions that could compromise the nutritional and health status of residents who depend on the facility for safe meal preparation.
Inspectors also found the facility lacked an emergency menu with appropriate food and water supplies to meet residents' nutritional and therapeutic needs, as required by facility policy and federal regulations.
The inspection, completed June 7, classified the violations as having minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting some residents. The facility's failure to ensure proper food safety procedures and adequate staff training represented systemic breakdowns in kitchen operations that federal regulations are designed to prevent.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Casa De Las Campanas from 2024-06-07 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.