Failure to Follow Food Labeling and Sanitation Standards in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food safety and sanitation. Specifically, multiple food items in both the stand-up and walk-in refrigerators were observed to be covered but not labeled or dated, including green peppers, salad dressings, tuna salad, ham salad, cooked meat, prepared salads, fruit cups, and seafood. Additionally, sandwiches were labeled but not dated. Facility policy requires all food items to be clearly labeled and dated, and staff confirmed during interviews that these procedures were not followed. Further observations revealed that dietary staff did not consistently wear required beard coverings while preparing and serving food, as mandated by facility policy. On several occasions, staff with visible facial hair were seen preparing and handling food without appropriate beard coverings, or with coverings that did not fully cover their beards. The Food Service Director acknowledged during interviews that staff should have been wearing beard coverings in accordance with policy, but this was not consistently practiced.