Failure to Document Food Temperatures and Properly Label Stored Food
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food storage, preparation, and service in the kitchen. Specifically, staff did not obtain or document food temperatures for the lunch meal prior to serving, as required by facility policy. The staff member responsible for preparing the meal admitted to not taking the temperatures due to being distracted by the workload, despite having been trained on the procedure. The facility's policy mandates that food temperatures be checked and recorded before each meal to ensure food safety. Additionally, during an observation of the walk-in refrigerator, a storage bag of peaches and a container of cooked rice were found without labels or use-by dates. The Dietary Manager confirmed that food should be labeled immediately and that she typically checks for proper labeling during her rounds. The Administrator also stated that all opened food items should be properly stored, dated, and labeled before being put away. Facility policies require that repackaged or opened foods be labeled with the common name and date, and that refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods be covered, labeled, and dated with a use-by date.