Expired Food Items Stored and Available for Use in Facility Kitchens
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in food storage and service sanitation when expired food items were found in both the main kitchen and the serving kitchen. During an initial tour of the main kitchen, a small refrigerator contained two pink drinks in covered cups marked with a use-by date that had passed, and a large refrigerator contained one container of salsa, one container of boiled eggs, and one individual package of cheese slices, all labeled with use-by dates that had already expired. In a follow-up observation of the main kitchen, the large refrigerator was found to contain a box of fresh spinach with a use-by date that had passed. In the small serving kitchen refrigerator, surveyors observed one container of salsa and one medium-sized container of plain yogurt, both beyond their use-by or expiration dates. The Dietary Manager confirmed these foods were expired and acknowledged that kitchen staff, including himself, were expected to monitor use-by dates and dispose of expired items, and stated that residents are at risk of foodborne illnesses if they receive expired food items. This deficient practice was determined to have the potential to affect all 46 residents listed on the facility’s census at the time of the survey.
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