Failure to Store and Label Food According to Professional Standards
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in food storage practices within the facility's kitchen and nourishment rooms. During an initial kitchen walkthrough, expired beverages including cranberry juice, fruit punch, grape drinks, sugar-free drinks, and unsweet tea were found in the walk-in refrigerator, all past their labeled use-by dates. The Kitchen Manager acknowledged the presence of these expired items. Additionally, a dented can of Sysco Classic Spaghetti Sauce was found in dry food storage, which was also acknowledged by the Kitchen Manager. The facility's policy requires all foods stored in refrigerators or freezers to be covered, labeled, and dated, and dry foods stored in bins to be removed from original packaging, labeled, and dated with a use-by date. Further observations in the nourishment rooms revealed that individually wrapped crackers were stored undated and in unmarked containers or drawers alongside other foods and snacks. The Regional Kitchen Manager confirmed that while some snack boxes were labeled and dated, they were unaware of the lack of labeling for the graham crackers and their continual placement in unmarked drawers. The facility's documented procedures require all foods to be received and stored in compliance with safe food handling practices, including proper labeling and dating, which was not consistently followed in these instances.