Employee Food Improperly Stored in Residents' Refrigerator
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store food in accordance with professional standards for food safety when an employee's food was found inside a refrigerator designated for residents' food only. During an observation, a box of sponge cakes labeled with a name and date was discovered in the residents' refrigerator on Station 1, which had signage indicating it was for residents' food only and not for employee use. Staff interviews revealed uncertainty about the ownership of the food, and it was later confirmed that the food belonged to a housekeeper working at night. The administrator acknowledged that staff should not have placed their food in the residents' refrigerator and that the facility's policy required daily monitoring of these refrigerators by designated staff. A review of facility records showed that Station 1 had 56 residents, with 50 on oral diets, making them potentially susceptible to cross-contamination from improper food storage. The facility's policy on resident/personal food storage required monitoring for food safety, but this policy was not followed in this instance. The FDA Food Code was also referenced, indicating that ready-to-eat food potentially contaminated by an employee should be discarded. The failure to adhere to these standards and policies resulted in a deficiency related to food storage and safety.