Failure to Label and Date Opened Food Items in Storage
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to store food items in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. Specifically, two open boxes of ice cream in the freezer, as well as one gallon each of sweet relish, creamy Italian dressing, whole egg mayonnaise, and one pound of unsalted margarine in the walk-in refrigerator, were not labeled with use by or expiration dates. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed during interviews that these items should have been labeled and acknowledged that the absence of proper labeling could affect residents' safety. The Director of Nursing also stated in an interview that food items should be labeled with use by and expiration dates to prevent spoilage. A review of the facility's policies confirmed that all frozen and opened food items are required to be labeled and dated according to storage guidelines. These deficiencies had the potential to affect 45 out of 46 residents in the facility.