A Canton senior living facility’s kitchen failed its routine inspection Tuesday, racking up violations that included moldy equipment, food expired by more than a year, and salad served at nearly 60 degrees.
Why It Matters: Cameron Hall of Canton serves elderly residents who are among the most vulnerable to foodborne illness. The kitchen scored a 66 — a failing grade under Georgia’s system — and inspectors flagged problems serious enough to require a follow-up visit.
What We Know: Georgia Department of Public Health inspectors conducted the routine inspection March 3. The kitchen scored 66 out of 100, earning a “U” rating. Inspection records show 11 violations, including four priority violations carrying the heaviest point penalties.
The inspector found mold growing inside the bulk ice machine. That machine supplies ice used in food and drinks served to residents. Staff have 72 hours to empty, clean, and sanitize it. That deadline falls Thursday. The violation was not corrected during the inspection.
The inspector also found mold on the walls of the dish-washing area and on food storage shelves inside the walk-in cooler. Neither was corrected on the spot.
On expired food: inspection records show beef base that expired January 13, 2025 — more than 14 months ago — stored in the cooler alongside ricotta expired January 9, 2026, and sour cream expired February 25, 2026. All were discarded during the inspection.
Feta cheese prepared November 2, 2025, was also found in the cooler — roughly four months past the seven-day discard rule. It was thrown out.
Cold-holding failures added nine more points in deductions. A salad measured 58°F, butter measured 76°F, and a gallon of milk measured 50°F. Georgia requires cold foods to stay at 41°F or below. All three were discarded.
Staff also cut tomatoes without washing them first and used a food thermometer without sanitizing it between uses. Both were corrected during the inspection.
The sanitizer buckets used to clean surfaces tested at zero parts per million — meaning they contained no active sanitizer. Staff refilled them during the inspection.
The Big Picture: Georgia grades food service inspections on a 100-point scale. A score below 70 is unsatisfactory and triggers a mandatory follow-up inspection. Facilities serving elderly residents carry heightened risk because older adults are more likely to develop severe complications from foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
