Expired Nutritional Supplements Found in Kitchen Refrigerator
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to discard expired nutritional supplements stored in the kitchen's reach-in refrigerator. Specifically, ten bottles of a nutritional supplement with an expiration date of 04/2025 were found during an inspection. The Dietary Manager confirmed that these supplements were expired and acknowledged that staff had missed them during their routine check for expired food that morning. The Administrator expressed surprise at the finding, noting that dietary staff are typically diligent about removing expired items and that a recent inspection by the Registered Dietitian had not identified any expired food. The facility's stated expectation is that no expired food items should be present in the kitchen or nourishment rooms. This deficiency was identified through direct observation and staff interviews, and it had the potential to affect residents who had physician orders for nutritional supplements.