Failure to Properly Store, Label, and Monitor Food Items
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, label, and monitor food in accordance with professional standards, as evidenced by multiple observations of expired, undated, and improperly stored food items in various storage areas. Surveyors found a package of strawberries covered in thick white mold in a refrigerator on the secure unit, and staff interviews revealed that a resident may have placed the strawberries there without staff noticing. In the dry storage area, six boxes of baking soda were found to be expired, and in the walk-in cooler, an open bag of undated Brussel sprouts and a bag of shallots with a use-by date had a white, slimy appearance and brownish liquid at the bottom. Staff acknowledged that all kitchen staff were responsible for checking and disposing of expired items, but these items had not been removed. A small food cooler in a public dining area lacked a thermometer and temperature logs, yet contained various undated food items, including yogurts, cheese snacks, and fruit bowls. Staff stated the cooler was not supposed to be in use but could not explain why it continued to be used. In the kitchen freezer, a plastic bag with unidentifiable frozen meat was found without a label or date, and staff could not confirm its contents. Additional observations included expired yogurt in a medication storage room refrigerator, and in the main dining room freezer, a half-eaten, undated ice cream cake with no patient identifiers, undated ice cream sandwiches, and undated frozen substances in disposable cups. Facility policy required labeling, dating, and monitoring of food items, but these procedures were not consistently followed.