Failure to Label Opened Food Items and Discard Expired Milk
Penalty
Summary
Dietary staff failed to label and date opened food items and did not properly discard expired milk, as required by facility policy. Observations revealed a five-pound bag of shredded cheddar cheese and a one-gallon container of teriyaki sauce that had been opened and stored without an open date. The Director of Dietary (DOD) confirmed these items were not labeled as required and stated that all dietary staff were responsible for labeling and dating, but she was ultimately responsible for checking compliance. The DOD had not yet checked the walk-in refrigerator on the day of the observation. Additionally, a full crate of eight-ounce chocolate milk cartons with a sell-by date that had passed was found stored next to other milk crates without a 'do not use' sign. The DOD acknowledged that expired milk should be separated and marked accordingly but admitted to noticing the expired crate and forgetting to move it and label it. At the time of the survey, the facility census was 163, with 162 residents receiving an oral diet.