Failure to Properly Date, Label, and Dispose of Food Items in Nourishment Room
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that food and beverage items stored in the nourishment room refrigerator and freezer were not properly dated or labeled. Specifically, there were 13 cartons of whole milk with expiration dates that had already passed, as well as a plastic container of peach cobbler and a blueberry bagel wrapped in foil, neither of which were labeled with a resident's name or room number, nor dated. Additionally, two commercially prepared entrees in the freezer section were also found without any labeling or dating. Interviews with dietary staff revealed that expired milk should not have been present in the refrigerator and that the responsibility for dating and labeling residents' personal food items before storage fell to the nursing staff. The dietary department did not supply milk to the nourishment room but did provide a list of food items placed there daily. The dietary manager confirmed that dietary staff were available in the kitchen until 8:30 p.m. each night and that extra milk was supplied upon request. These findings indicate a failure to ensure proper food storage practices in accordance with professional standards.