Improper Food Storage and Labeling Practices Identified
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple instances where food was not stored according to professional standards and the facility's own food storage policy. In the standing freezer, uncooked steak and chicken were found in unsealed, unlabeled, and undated plastic bags, stored on the top shelf next to a sponge cake and directly above dinner rolls. In the resident refrigerator, a carton of ham salad labeled for a resident was found with a sell by date that had already passed, and a bag of deli meat was found opened, undated, and unsealed. In the standing refrigerator, several pitchers of beverages and a container of turkey were found with use by dates that had already passed, and a pitcher of clear liquid and 26 cups of assorted liquids were not labeled or dated. The Dietary Manager acknowledged these issues during the survey. The facility's food storage policy requires all food items to be labeled with the name and date, and specifies proper storage methods, including discarding expired food and storing raw animal foods separately from ready-to-eat items. The Administrator confirmed that staff are expected to follow these guidelines. The failure to properly label, date, seal, and store food as observed during the survey affected the facility, which housed 55 residents at the time.