Failure to Properly Store and Discard Food Items
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to store food in accordance with professional standards and did not maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen. During a tour of the kitchen, several opened food items in the walk-in cooler, including mayonnaise, sliced cheddar cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, whole milk, and shredded lettuce, were found without labels indicating the date and time they were opened. The shredded lettuce was visibly spoiled, and additional items such as taco shells and a tray of red liquid were found to be expired or undated. The facility's own policies require all opened foods to be labeled with the name and date stored, and for expired foods to be discarded, but these procedures were not followed. Further inspection of the walk-in freezer revealed an opened bag of hash browns and a large, unsealed bag of cut okra, both of which were past their expiration dates. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that these items were expired and should have been discarded. The failure to properly label, date, and discard expired or spoiled food items demonstrates non-compliance with both facility policy and professional food safety standards.