Failure to Label, Date, and Discard Expired Food Items in Kitchen Refrigerators
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly label and date open food items and did not discard expired food in both the walk-in and reach-in refrigerators in the kitchen. Specifically, a plate with tomato slices was found without a use by date, and a carton of whole milk was present with a use by date that had already passed. In the walk-in refrigerator, multiple open and undated packages of meats, cheeses, and a pan of cooked pasta were found, along with 16 premade sandwiches that were past their use by date. Interviews with the Dietary Manager and the Administrator confirmed that the facility's procedures require staff to label open food items with an open date and a use by date not exceeding seven days, and to remove expired food. The Dietary Manager, who had been on vacation prior to the survey, stated that cooks were responsible for following these procedures in her absence, but was unaware of how the expired and undated items were missed. The Administrator also acknowledged that food should be dated and expired items discarded.