Deficient Food Storage, Labeling, and Sanitation in Dietary and Nourishment Areas
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple failures in the facility's dietary department and nourishment rooms regarding food storage, labeling, and sanitation. During a tour, numerous food items were found opened and not labeled or dated, including hot dog buns, French bread, French toast, donuts, egg noodles, honey, peas, elbow macaroni, rice, and pinto beans. Some items were also found to be expired, such as egg noodles and pinto beans, yet had not been discarded. Additionally, prepared foods in the walk-in refrigerator, such as meatloaf, cheese, tomato juice, soup, sliced beef with gravy, and egg noodles, were either undated, not labeled, or held beyond the recommended time frame for safe consumption. Further observations in the nourishment rooms on multiple floors revealed unsanitary conditions and improper food handling. The 2nd floor nourishment room had a soiled coffee maker, expired cereal, uncovered and undated food items, and a refrigerator with visible brownish drip marks. The 3rd floor nourishment room had an ice maker with a brown substance in the scoop container, debris behind the ice maker, opened and undated brown sugar, an unidentified foil-wrapped item, and a refrigerator with a tacky, brown substance. The 4th floor nourishment room also had an ice maker with heavy accumulation of brown and white substances, an ice scoop container with a brown substance, and opened, undated containers of mayo and salsa. Interviews with the Dietary Director revealed a lack of awareness regarding the facility's policy on labeling and dating opened food items and the process for discarding expired food. The director acknowledged that the nourishment room refrigerators, freezers, and ice makers required cleaning and that the dietary department was responsible for maintaining their cleanliness. However, rounds to check cleanliness were not conducted frequently enough to ensure compliance with facility policy and food safety standards.