Improper Storage and Labeling of Resident Food Items
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that food stored in a resident refrigerator located in a great room was not managed according to professional food safety standards. Specifically, an opened package of sliced ham was found with a facility-applied expiration label matching the manufacturer’s expiration date, but the package instructions required use within seven days of opening. The facility’s labeling did not indicate the date the package was opened, and nursing staff confirmed they used the manufacturer’s expiration date rather than the open date for discarding lunch meat. The Food Service Director (FSD) confirmed that the manufacturer’s instructions should be followed and referenced FDA guidelines recommending a shorter storage period after opening. Additionally, the same refrigerator contained a turkey pot pie and a box of Uncrustables sandwiches, both of which were labeled by the facility but stored in a refrigerator rather than a freezer, contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions to keep these items frozen until use. Nursing staff confirmed that the great rooms only had refrigerators and not freezers, and the FSD stated he was unsure where residents’ personal frozen foods should be stored, expressing concerns about cross-contamination if stored in galley kitchens. Facility policies required food from outside sources to be stored and discarded according to manufacturer recommendations, but these procedures were not followed for the observed items.