Repeat Deficiency in Food Storage and Labeling Due to Ineffective QAPI Oversight
Penalty
Summary
The facility's Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Committee failed to sustain corrective actions to prevent the recurrence of previously cited deficiencies related to food storage, labeling, and dating. During a prior annual recertification survey, the facility was cited for failing to properly store food, including not dating or labeling food items, having expired foods, and improperly stored and exposed food. Despite the implementation of a corrective plan, the same deficiencies were identified again during the current survey, specifically involving the improper storage, labeling, and dating of frozen food items, failure to discard expired bakery rolls, and failure to refrigerate lemon juice according to manufacturer instructions. Record reviews and staff interviews confirmed that the QAPI Committee had been meeting monthly and had implemented audits and training following the previous citation. However, the recurrence of the same issues during the current survey indicated that ongoing monitoring and oversight were not sustained, and the deficiencies persisted. The dietary team was noted to be new, with many staff not present during the last survey, which contributed to the lack of adherence to proper food storage and handling procedures.