Failure to Label and Date Food Items and Lack of Food Storage Policy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper labeling and dating of food items in both the kitchen and medication room refrigerators, as well as to develop and implement policies and procedures for food storage and labeling. Observations revealed multiple food items in the kitchen, such as sweetener, ground cloves, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, and liquid whole eggs, that were either missing facility dates, had expired dates, or lacked use-by dates. Staff interviews confirmed the absence of a procedure for checking expiration dates, and staff were unsure of the correct process for discarding expired dairy products. Additionally, in the medication storage room, a refrigerator contained food and drink items for residents that were not labeled with resident identifiers or open dates. Items included a can of beer and bottles of coffee creamer, with staff unable to identify ownership without prior knowledge. A large box of beer cans was also present without resident identifiers. Staff confirmed there was no existing policy for food storage, and a request for such a policy was met with confirmation that none existed. These practices placed all residents at risk for consumption of expired or contaminated food.