Expired and Undated Food Items Found in Kitchen Storage
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure expired and undated food items were not stored in the kitchen, affecting 76 of 84 residents who received food from the kitchen. During a kitchen tour with the Dietary Manager, undated prepared peanut butter and jellied sandwiches and expired deli turkey slices labeled with a past use-by date were found stored in one of the refrigerators. The Dietary Manager acknowledged that the sandwiches should have been labeled with preparation and use-by dates and that the expired turkey should have been discarded. The Registered Dietitian confirmed that food must be labeled to prevent serving expired items to residents. Review of the facility's policy indicated that all refrigerated or frozen foods must be labeled with a use-by date and either used or discarded by that date.