Failure to Store and Handle Food According to Professional Standards
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in food storage practices within the facility's kitchen and nourishment areas. In the kitchen walk-in freezer, a clear plastic bag of tater tots was found on a shelf without a label or date. Additionally, two trays of uncovered slices of pie were observed on a rolling cart in the walk-in cooler. Staff interviews confirmed that the tater tots should have been labeled and dated, and the pie should have been covered, in accordance with facility policy and professional food safety standards. Further observation in the nourishment refrigerator/freezer on the second floor revealed an ice bucket with an ice scooper laying directly on the ice. Staff acknowledged that the scooper should not have been in contact with the ice, and the Dietary Manager was unaware of the scooper's origin. Review of the facility's food safety policy confirmed requirements for labeling, dating, and covering food, as well as proper storage and handling procedures, which were not followed in these instances.