Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2023 - 37

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color at all. Looking at the chemicals it was noted that the
dish machine was out of sanitizer. She asked the dishwasher
if there was any more sanitizer and he said no, they just ran
out. Kate noticed that there was QAC sanitizer at the threecompartment
sink, which was good, but since the sink was
filled with dirty dishes, she didn't check its strength.
Kate walked back into the kitchen to wash her hands (again)
and noticed a cookline employee who had painted nails
drinking from an open cup, and the worker next to her had a
longish goatee and a soiled apron.
Shaking her head Kate walked out to the dining room to
check the drinks bar, and there
was the bartender-chewing gum
and playing with her phone so
intently she didn't notice that
Inspector Kate had entered her
bar. Getting her attention, Kate
asked how she washed her bar
glasses; the bartender had a small
three-compartment sink with a
glass scrubber. Kate asked her how
she tested the sanitizer, and the
bartender had no idea what she
was talking about. Kate noted that
the bar was clean; they had a soda
gun, a built-in espresso machine,
and a frozen drinks machine. She
guessed the residents liked their
Piña Colada Nights! Asking how
often the bartender cleaned the
drinks machine, Kate got the answer " I'm not sure, I know
I've never cleaned it. " Kate checked the soda gun, noted the
'gunk' in the nozzle, and then moved on.
Next up was the employee lounge. Walking to the
bathrooms, Kate watched some waitresses rolling
silverware; one of the workers was using her breath to polish
the spots off the knives. In the bathroom, the toilet appeared
clogged and there weren't any paper towels in the dispenser.
At this point Kate went back to the kitchen for a second look.
With a quick scan, she noted the floors, walls, and ceilings.
The floors were clean enough for the middle of the workday,
but some tiles were cracked, and the cove base was loose
and separating from the walls. The walls behind the fryer
were caked with grease; this prompted Kate to look up. Sure
enough, the hood filters were dirty and one of them was
missing; Kate thought that she could see the sky. Lastly,
she checked the mop sink and noticed the drain had an
abundance of food debris in it.
NEXT UP WAS THE
EMPLOYEE LOUNGE.
Walking to the bathrooms,
Kate watched some
waitresses rolling silverware;
one of the workers was using
her breath to polish the spots
off the knives.
Finished with her assessment, Kate was about to pack up and
leave when the manager rushed in, apologizing, saying it was
her normal day off and her assistant
manager was out sick all week with
some type of bad stomach virus.
Inspector Kate asked if anyone else
was sick. The manager said she
herself was sick last week, and a few
of the night shift employees called
off yesterday after one of them
threw up in the employee lounge.
This news prompted Kate to ask the
manager if they had an Employee
Health and Hygiene Policy for the
facility. The manager stated that
they use common sense, " if you are
sick, you stay home. " Kate said that
she would send some new health
policy information over for them,
but right now she had to go because
she had another appointment to keep, and would email the
inspection report over. If the manager had any questions
she could call her.
It's really Kate's job to point out violations, obtain immediate
corrective action, write the report and review it with the
manager, but since she's in a rush, it is up to you today! Use
the Food Safety Checklist for guidance. E
See next page for a summary of mistakes made during the audit.
KATHLEEN BRADY, CDM, CFPP, CP-FS, PCQI | kdbrady013@gmail.com
Kathleen Brady is an Environmental Health Manager with the State of South Carolina's Department of Health
and Environmental Control. She has over 20 years of experience driving success as a team leader, training
manager, and consultant for nutrition and food safety programs. She will readily answer your food safety
concerns and encourages you to connect with her on Linkedin.
NUTRITION & F OOD SER VICE EDGE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023 37

Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2023

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