Deficient Food Storage, Labeling, and Equipment Maintenance in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to its own food storage and handling policies by not removing expired food items from the refrigerator and failing to label food items with the required information, such as the food item name and use by or expiration date. During multiple kitchen observations, surveyors found expired prunes, puree food, and sandwiches in the refrigerator, as well as numerous unlabeled or undated items including grapes, fruit cups, applesauce, peppers, fortified milk, sweetener, thickener, raw chicken, and pastrami meat. Staff interviews confirmed that these items should have been labeled and expired food should have been discarded, as per facility policy. Staff acknowledged that the lack of proper labeling and removal of expired food could result in serving unsafe food to residents. Additionally, the facility failed to maintain a functional convection steamer in the kitchen. During an observation, a staff member was injured when a tray of green beans fell from the steamer due to missing supporting rails. The equipment had been known to be in disrepair, and maintenance staff were aware of the issue but had not yet completed repairs. This malfunction led to delays in meal preparation and service, as food had to be remade and staff were diverted to address the injury. Review of the facility's policies and procedures confirmed that all food items are required to be labeled and dated, and that equipment must be maintained in good working order with regular inspections. The observed deficiencies in food labeling, storage, and equipment maintenance were not in accordance with these established policies, as confirmed by staff and policy review.