Failure to Discard Expired Food and Properly Label Opened Items in Kitchen Refrigerator
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly manage food storage and labeling in the kitchen's walk-in refrigerator. Specifically, there was an opened plastic bag of diced potatoes with an expiration date that had already passed, 98 containers of 2% milk with expired dates, a half-full box of white mushrooms showing visible mold and discoloration, and an opened bag of mozzarella cheese without any date of opening or expiration. These items were available for use and not properly discarded or labeled as required. Interviews with kitchen staff and the Dietary Manager revealed that the responsibility for labeling and discarding expired food was shared among all kitchen staff, but the process was not consistently followed. The Dietary Manager admitted that the daily check for expired food was not completed that morning due to her absence and that there was no sign-off sheet to ensure regular checks. Additionally, instructions to label expired milk and move it for pick-up were not followed, and the Administrator confirmed that all opened foods should have been labeled and dated.