F0812

E

Failure to Label Thawed Raw Chicken With Use-By Dates

Gastonia, North Carolina Survey Completed on 02-13-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in food storage practices when thawed, raw chicken in one of four walk-in refrigerators was not labeled with a use-by date. During an observation of the main kitchen walk-in refrigerator, an opened 20-pound case containing one package of raw chicken and another 20-pound case of raw chicken were found on the bottom shelf at the front of the unit, each marked only with a "use first" sticker and delivery dates of 2/3/26, but without any use-by date. The Kitchen Operations Manager explained that the facility’s system was to place frozen raw chicken in the back of the walk-in to thaw, then rotate it to the front using a First In First Out policy and apply a "use first" sticker to indicate which product should be used next, but acknowledged that no use-by dates were applied to thawed, raw chicken stored in the walk-in refrigerator. He stated that chicken stored in the walk-in was typically used within seven days. The Administrator later confirmed that a use-by date should have been placed on thawed, raw chicken stored in the walk-in refrigerator and available for use.