WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County health inspectors cited two senior care facilities for food safety and sanitation violations on October 12, including improperly stored ready-to-eat foods, contaminated food-contact surfaces, and plumbing deficiencies, according to inspection reports released by the Chester County Health Department.
Park Lane Post Acute in West Chester and Spring Mill Senior Living in Phoenixville were cited for multiple violations involving kitchen sanitation, equipment maintenance, and food handling practices.
The findings included food requiring disposal at Park Lane Post Acute, where inspectors also identified extensive cleaning deficiencies across the main kitchen and two satellite kitchens.
At Spring Mill Senior Living, inspectors documented cleaning and sanitation problems, inadequate handwashing supplies, and plumbing issues.
The inspections provide a snapshot of conditions observed at each facility and do not necessarily reflect their long-term food safety practices.
Park Lane Post Acute
Park Lane Post Acute, located at 1619 E. Boot Road in West Chester, received 21 violation citations covering food storage, equipment conditions, sanitation, plumbing, and facility maintenance.
Inspectors found sliced deli ham stored in a walk-in cooler without the required date marking. The food was discarded during the inspection.
Egg salad stored beyond its permitted date-marking period was also discarded.
In the first-floor satellite kitchen, inspectors observed residue inside an ice machine and on its scoop holder, both of which are food-contact surfaces. The facility was directed to clean and sanitize the equipment that day.
The inspection identified widespread cleaning deficiencies throughout the main kitchen and both satellite kitchens.
Areas requiring attention included floors beneath equipment, lower walls, shelves, windowsills, microwave interiors, the walk-in cooler, and areas beneath the dishwasher.
Inspectors also documented debris accumulating on ceiling tiles and directed the facility to establish a regular cleaning schedule.
Additional equipment violations included damaged cooking whisks, deeply scored and chipped cutting boards, rusted shelving inside the walk-in cooler, and ice accumulation in the walk-in freezer near an unwrapped copper pipe.
A standing cooler lacked an accessible internal thermometer, while leaks were observed beneath a three-compartment sink and the mechanical dishwasher.
Food storage violations included an unlabeled dry ingredient container, improperly stored scooping utensils, and a dented canned product. The can was moved to a designated shelf during the inspection.
Inspectors also found coffee stains and residue in handwashing sinks in the satellite kitchens, indicating the sinks had been used for purposes other than handwashing.
A waste receptacle was missing from one handwashing station, and required employee handwashing signs were absent from a restroom near the kitchen.
Facility maintenance findings included chipped paint near the cooking line, inadequate lighting in the walk-in cooler, and an unshielded light in the second-floor satellite kitchen.
Inspectors observed beehives between a window and screen in the second-floor satellite kitchen and gaps beneath exterior doors that could allow pests to enter.
The facility was directed to address those conditions, hang mops to air dry, and remove unused kitchen equipment.
Spring Mill Senior Living
Spring Mill Senior Living, located at 3000 Balfour Circle in Phoenixville, received eight violation citations involving sanitation, plumbing, food storage and facility maintenance.
Inspectors directed the facility to clean a tabletop can opener, a juice dispenser tray, and the interior of a microwave oven.
Additional cleaning was required at handwashing sinks and surrounding surfaces throughout the kitchen, as well as a food preparation sink near the walk-in storage areas.
Inspectors found that kitchen employees initially could not locate the test strips used to verify quaternary ammonium sanitizer concentrations. The report marked that violation as corrected during the inspection.
The inspection also identified an empty paper towel dispenser at a handwashing sink near the food preparation area.
Plumbing deficiencies included a dripping pipe beneath a food preparation sink and a slow-draining floor drain with substantial food accumulation beneath the three-compartment sink.
Inspectors directed the facility to repair the leaking connection, clean the drain, and ensure proper drainage.
Other findings included unlabeled secondary food containers and a kitchen door that had been propped open.
Grease-like residue was observed beneath fryers and behind cooking equipment, while food debris and wastewater had accumulated beneath the dishwasher area.
Inspectors also identified a damaged ceiling tile near the dishwasher, missing cove base in a basement storage area and pooled water on the floor.
The facility was directed to correct those maintenance and cleaning deficiencies.
Eight Other Facilities Listed in Compliance
The Chester County Health Department listed the following eight food facilities as in compliance following inspections on October 12:
- Bethel United Methodist Church — 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City
- Brew & Bite LLC at Spring City Hotel — 88 N. Main St., Spring City
- Chef’s Key Lime Pies at BFM — 511 Old Lancaster Road, Berwyn
- Firefly Forest Bakehouse at Berwyn FM — 511 Old Lancaster Road, Berwyn
- Sodexo at St. Gobain North American — 20 Moores Road, Malvern
- Spring City Elementary School — 190 S. Wall St., Spring City
- Street Cart Bagels at BFM — 511 Old Lancaster Road, Berwyn
- The Local Spoon at Settantatre Pasta & Provisions Commissary — 802 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn
The health department cautions that inspection results reflect conditions at the time of an inspector’s visit and may not represent an establishment’s overall sanitation history.
Residents who observe unsanitary conditions can submit a confidential environmental health complaint at https://www.chesco.org/5843.
Anyone who believes they became ill after eating food from an establishment should instead contact the Chester County Health Department at 610-344-6225.
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