Failure to Properly Store, Label, and Discard Food Items
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly manage food storage and labeling in the kitchen. During a kitchen tour, an open bag of turkey breast and an open bag of ham were found in the refrigerator without any open or use by dates. Additionally, a reusable container labeled with the dietary manager's first name and a date, a metal container of potato salad past its use by date, and a whipped topping container with no labels or dates containing black olives were also found. The dietary manager confirmed that the container with her name was her personal item, was unsure how long the olives had been there, and acknowledged that the deli meats and potato salad should be discarded due to lack of proper dating or being past the use by date. The facility's policy requires all items in the cooler to be labeled with the item, initials, date, and use by date, and any improperly stored food to be disposed of immediately. These failures were identified as having the potential to affect all 46 residents in the facility.