F0812

E

Improper Labeling, Storage, and Discarding of Food in Kitchen Walk-in Units

Concord, North Carolina Survey Completed on 02-27-2026

Penalty

Fine: $44,925

Summary

The deficiency involves failure to properly label, date, seal, and discard food items in the facility’s walk-in freezer and refrigerator in accordance with professional standards. During an initial kitchen observation with the Regional Dietary Manager and the Dietary Manager, surveyors found in the walk-in freezer an opened, unsealed package of chicken tenderloins and an opened, unlabeled, unsealed package of chicken breasts, both with frostbite spots and grayish-brown discoloration. They also observed an opened, unlabeled, unsealed box of chocolate chip cookies with frostbite and grayish-brown discoloration, and an opened, unlabeled, unsealed package of biscuit dough with ice crystal formation.

In the walk-in refrigerator, surveyors observed an opened, unlabeled 5-lb bag of parmesan fancy shredded cheese, an opened, unlabeled, unsealed box of herb thyme that appeared spoiled with brownish/blackish discoloration, and an open 1-quart container of pimento cheese spread with a use-by date that had already passed. In interviews, the Dietary Manager stated that open food items should be checked weekly, labeled with an open date, and kept closed and sealed, and acknowledged that the freezer items should not have been opened and needed to be discarded. The Administrator stated that all food and beverage items should be dated when opened, food showing signs of spoilage should be discarded, and items should be used or discarded according to use-by policies, confirming that the dietary department is responsible for daily food storage and safety.