Failure to Properly Label, Date, and Discard Food Items
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food stored in the refrigerator, freezer, and dry storage areas was labeled, dated, and stored according to professional food service safety standards and the facility's own policies. During an inspection of the Food Service Department, multiple items were found in the walk-in freezer and refrigerator that were either opened and not labeled, not covered, or past their expiration dates. Specific examples included opened chicken nuggets, pureed and regular steak, beef burgers, and frozen bisques in the freezer, as well as opened cauliflower, celery, carrots, cheese, coleslaw, and chopped tomatoes in the refrigerator, many of which were not labeled or had expired. In the refrigerator for premade items, chicken salad, turkey cold cuts, ham, imitation crab meat, and defrosted turkey were found to be expired, and some baked goods were not labeled. In the dry storage area, opened rice, bowtie pasta, and dye/frosting food coloring were not labeled, while Israeli couscous, cooked apples, and sprinkles were found to be expired. Additionally, whipping cream was not labeled. An unattended rolling tray with full-sized romaine lettuce and cucumbers was also found outside the dining kitchen. These findings indicate that the facility did not follow its own policies regarding the labeling, dating, and rotation of food items, nor did it ensure that expired or potentially unsafe food was discarded in a timely manner.