Failure to Dispose of Expired and Spoiled Foods and Inadequate Food Labeling
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly dispose of expired foods and remove spoiled items from the dry goods storage room, walk-in cooler, and freezer. Specifically, expired seasonings, pickles, lemon extract, and baking soda were found in the dry goods storage, along with visibly spoiled bananas emitting a foul odor and stored with fresh bananas. In the walk-in cooler, opened packages of sliced cheese and diced potatoes were stored without proper labeling, and expired gravy vegetable base packs were present. The freezer contained multiple opened bags and boxes of food items, such as hash browns, french fries, pancakes, pizza, and mixed vegetables, many of which were not labeled and some showed signs of freezer burn, such as ice crystals. Expired fatback was also found in the freezer. Interviews with the Dietary Manager revealed that there was no consistent system in place to ensure food items were labeled with opening and expiration dates after being opened. The Dietary Manager and kitchen staff shared responsibility for checking expiration dates and labeling, but admitted that some items, especially those stored at the back of storage areas, were overlooked. The Administrator confirmed that staff were expected to follow the facility's food-storage policy and conduct frequent checks, but the observed deficiencies indicated that these procedures were not consistently followed.