Failure to Properly Label and Discard Expired Food in Nourishment Room Refrigerator
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly label and date leftover food items and did not discard expired food in one of the nourishment room refrigerators used for resident food storage. Specifically, an unopened container of egg salad was found with a use by date that had already passed, an opened container of orange juice was present without a resident name and past its use by date, and an opened container of soup was labeled with a date but lacked the resident's name and had not been discarded after the appropriate time frame. The Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) confirmed that these items should have been labeled with the resident's name, the date received or made, and a use by date, and should have been discarded once expired. Interviews with staff revealed that both dietary and nursing staff were expected to participate in labeling and discarding expired food items. The CDM stated that dietary staff restocked the refrigerators daily and were responsible for removing expired items, while nurses or Nurse Aides (NAs) were typically responsible for labeling food brought in for residents. The Administrator also indicated that dietary staff were responsible for checking expiration dates and discarding out-of-date food, and that food brought in for residents should be labeled and discarded according to the use by date. Despite these expectations, expired and unlabeled food was found in the nourishment room refrigerator.