Expired Milk Served to Resident Due to Lapses in Food Safety Checks
Penalty
Summary
Dietary staff failed to ensure that all perishable food items, specifically milk, were fresh before serving them to residents. During a lunch service, a resident with moderately impaired cognition and multiple medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes and GERD, was served a carton of chocolate milk with an expiration date that had already passed. The resident noticed the expired date after taking a sip and reported the issue. Upon further inspection, it was found that expired milk had been distributed to multiple residents, with some milk poured into cups and covered with plastic wrap, while others were left uncovered. The milk in at least one cup was found to have a sour and pungent smell. Interviews with dietary aides and the dietary manager revealed that the process for checking expiration dates on perishable items was not consistently followed. One aide admitted to not checking the date or the freshness of the milk before serving it, and the dietary manager acknowledged that expired milk had been separated but not discarded, possibly due to oversight by the night shift. The facility's policy required oversight of food storage and preparation, but this was not adhered to, resulting in expired milk being served to residents.