Failure to Store and Label Food Items According to Policy
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to store food in a safe and sanitary manner in both the main kitchen and one of the nourishment rooms. In the main kitchen's walk-in cooler, an unwrapped pepperoni pizza was found sitting on top of a cardboard box without any opened or expiration date, and a 5-pound container of sour cream was present with a date written in marker that could not be clarified as either the opened or expiration date. The Dietary Supervisor acknowledged these issues, stating that the pizza should have been wrapped and dated, and that the sour cream should have been discarded if the date indicated it was opened. Additionally, in a nourishment room on Hallway 400, a grocery bag containing a clear plastic bowl of fruit (strawberries and grapes) was found in the refrigerator without an expiration date or a label identifying the owner. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that all food brought in should be labeled with the resident's name and the date it was brought in. Review of facility policies confirmed requirements for proper labeling, dating, and storage of food items, which were not followed in these instances.