F371: Store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way
F371 is one of the federal requirements every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home must meet. CMS describes it as: Store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way.
It sits in CMS's nutrition and dietary category.
CMS Health Deficiencies file, data as of September 1, 2026. The files hold each home's last three standard inspections and three years of complaint visits.
How seriously inspectors rate it
Every citation gets a letter for how much harm inspectors found and how many residents it touched (how to read the letters). 0.0% of F371 citations came from a complaint visit rather than a routine inspection.
By letter: E 4, F 6.
What inspectors wrote
Three recent F371 citations from different states, quoted from the inspectors' statements of deficiencies (CMS form 2567). Names are removed by CMS.
Inspectors wrote, November 9, 2017, scope and severity EBased on observation, staff interview and facility document review, the facility staff failed to prepare and distribute food in a sanitary manner from the main kitchen. Ten large baking pans, identified as ready for use, were stored nested and wet.
Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Colonial Heights, VA
Inspectors wrote, August 17, 2017, scope and severity FBased on observation, interview, and review of the facility policy titled Refrigerated Storage, the facility failed to ensure raw beef shoulder, raw pork tenderloin, and open sandwich meat were not stored in the same container in the walk-in cooler, creating the potential for cross-contamination. This had the potential to affect 89 of 92 residents in the facility, identified by the facility as receiving meals from the dietary department.
Northside Health Care, Gadsden, AL
Inspectors wrote, July 13, 2017, scope and severity EBased on observation and interview of staff, it was determined that facility staff failed to maintain equipment and prepare foods in a manner that ensures a safe and sanitary food service.
Larkin Chase Center, Bowie, MD
Most recent F371 citations
| Inspection | Home | Town | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 9, 2017 | Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center | Colonial Heights, VA | E |
| October 19, 2017 | Crowne Health Care of Springhill | Mobile, AL | F |
| September 8, 2017 | Chesapeake Health and Rehabilitation Center | Chesapeake, VA | E |
| August 24, 2017 | St. Martin's in the Pines | Irondale, AL | F |
| August 24, 2017 | Crowne Health Care of Ft Payne | Fort Payne, AL | F |
| August 17, 2017 | Norfolk Health Care Center | Norfolk, VA | E |
| August 17, 2017 | Northside Health Care | Gadsden, AL | F |
| July 13, 2017 | Larkin Chase Center | Bowie, MD | E |
| June 22, 2017 | Crowne Health Care of Mobile | Mobile, AL | F |
| March 23, 2017 | Potomac Falls Health & Rehab Center | Sterling, VA | F |
Common questions
- What is F371 in a nursing home inspection?
- F371 is the federal requirement to "store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way". CMS files it under nutrition and dietary. A home cited under F371 did not meet that requirement at the inspection.
- How often is F371 cited?
- The CMS files as of September 1, 2026 list 10 F371 citations at 10 nursing homes, 0 of them in the 12 months to that date. 0.0% were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
- Is a F371 citation serious?
- It depends on the letter. Most F371 citations (100.0%) were rated as potential for more than minimal harm, D to F. None in the current files is at the immediate jeopardy level.
The interpretive guidance inspectors use for each F-tag is CMS's State Operations Manual, Appendix PP. NursingHomeClear reports the citations as CMS records them and is not affiliated with CMS. All F-tags · Methodology