Expired Food Items Found in Kitchen Storage
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. During an observation of the kitchen, multiple food items were found in the walk-in refrigerator and pantry that were past their use by dates, including bay leaves, pork, beef, beef tips, brisket, and chocolate fudge icing. These items had use by dates ranging from several days to over a month prior to the observation. Staff interviews confirmed that all kitchen personnel, including dietary management and administration, had received training on proper food storage, labeling, and the requirement to discard expired foods. Staff consistently stated that expired foods should be thrown away immediately and acknowledged the potential for illness if expired foods were consumed. A review of the facility's policy on labeling, safety, and sanitization indicated that all food items must be labeled with received dates and that prepared items must be labeled with preparation and discard dates, with specific timeframes for discarding leftovers and hazardous foods. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that no food items are kept past their expiration or use by dates. Despite these policies and staff training, expired food items were still present in the kitchen, indicating a failure to follow established procedures for food safety.