Failure to Properly Label, Date, and Store Food Items and Maintain Dishwasher Temperature Logs
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to store food according to professional food service safety standards in two kitchenettes and one pantry room. Multiple food items, including potato salad, chicken patties, pancakes, vegetable beef soup, cranberries, strawberry yogurt, shredded American cheese, sliced Swiss cheese, chicken tenders, and diced chicken, were found in refrigerators and were not labeled or dated. Additionally, the facility did not maintain daily temperature logs for dishwashers in the kitchenettes since moving into the new facility, as staff believed that the use of low temperature dishwasher detergent eliminated the need for temperature documentation. Administrative staff confirmed these findings and acknowledged that food items should be labeled and dated before refrigeration or freezing. The facility's own policies required all products to be labeled with the date received and for food to be rotated appropriately, as well as for dishwashing and food storage practices to meet sanitary standards. However, these procedures were not followed, resulting in the cited deficiencies.