Failure to Properly Label, Date, and Store Food Items in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to store food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. During inspection of the walk-in refrigerator and freezer, multiple food items were found either not labeled or not dated correctly, and several items were past their expiration dates. Specific examples included refrigerated cornbread, tortillas, lunch meat, scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, and coleslaw without expiration dates, as well as tamale pie and gelatine that were past their labeled expiration dates. In the freezer, items such as beef and chili burritos, chicken breast fillets, hush puppies, chicken pieces, Salisbury steak, and corn dogs were found with missing or incomplete expiration dates, and some lacked the year entirely. Interviews with dietary staff and management confirmed that the kitchen was supposed to be checked daily for out-of-date products, and that items should be labeled with the product name, the date placed in storage, and the expiration date. Staff acknowledged that sometimes items were missed during checks, and that improper labeling could result in expired food being served. Review of the facility's food storage policy indicated that all foods should be dated and rotated on a first in/first out basis, and that frozen products should be labeled with a description, date wrapped, and placed in the freezer. The observed practices did not align with these policies.