Failure to Discard Outdated Food Items in a Timely Manner
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to discard outdated food items in a timely manner. During an inspection of the kitchen and storage areas, a bag of shredded carrots was found in the walk-in refrigerator with an expiration date that had already passed, and staff disposed of it only after it was pointed out. In the dry storage area, two bags of graham cracker crumbs were found with an open date several months prior, and the Dietary Manager was unable to confirm their expiration date but agreed they should be discarded. The Dietary Manager stated that checks for outdated food were typically done on delivery days, and there was no awareness of a specific policy for regularly checking for outdated food, despite the facility having a policy for discarding expired food brought in by families or visitors. The facility reported a census of 32 residents at the time of the survey.