Expired Food and Hand Hygiene Deficiencies in Dietary Department
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that expired food items and leftovers were promptly removed or discarded on or before their expiration or use-by dates. During an inspection, it was observed that expired food items, including sweet corn, skim milk, bagel bites, and pepperoni, were found in storage areas. The Dietary Manager/Registered Dietician acknowledged the oversight and stated that these items should have been discarded. This indicates a lapse in the facility's adherence to its policy of 'First in, first out,' which requires older stock to be placed in the front and newer stock in the back. Additionally, the facility did not maintain proper hand hygiene practices among dietary staff. Several instances were observed where dietary aides and a dietary coordinator failed to wash their hands between handling dirty and clean tasks. This included touching contaminated surfaces and then handling clean equipment or food items without washing hands or changing gloves. The facility's policy on handwashing and hand hygiene, which emphasizes the importance of preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections, was not followed by the staff involved.