Failure to Properly Label and Store Food Items in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper storage and labeling of food items in the main kitchen, as required by its own policy. During an observation of the kitchen, surveyors found an opened bag of lobster wrapped in cellophane that was unlabeled, and an opened bag of gluten multigrain sandwich bread that was labeled with a date several months prior. The facility's policy mandates that all food items must be labeled with the name of the food and the date by which it should be sold, consumed, or discarded, and that expired or unlabeled food must be discarded immediately. Interviews with the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM), Executive Chef, and Lead staff confirmed that it is the responsibility of all kitchen staff to ensure food items are properly labeled, rotated, and discarded according to policy. The Executive Chef and Lead staff both stated that labeling and rotation are checked daily, and that any expired or unlabeled items must be discarded immediately. Despite these procedures, the observation revealed noncompliance with the facility's food storage and labeling policy.