Improper Food Labeling and Storage in Kitchen Refrigerators and Freezers
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure proper labeling, dating, and discarding of food items stored in the kitchen refrigerators and freezers. During a kitchen tour, it was found that a half container of sour cream in the walk-in cooler lacked an opened date and had an expiration date that had already passed. In the kitchen fridge, a quarter container of mustard was found with an expired date, and a half bottle of barbeque sauce was missing both an opened date and an expiration date. The cook confirmed these findings and stated that all opened food should be dated and discarded by the expiration date. The dietary manager also confirmed that food should be dated when opened and discarded after the shelf life or expiration date. Facility policy requires leftover foods to be stored in covered containers, clearly labeled, dated, and monitored to ensure consumption by safe use-by dates or frozen.