Failure to Label and Date Opened Food Items in Kitchen Storage
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that opened food items were labeled and dated in accordance with professional food safety standards and the facility’s own policy. During a kitchen observation conducted with the Dietary Manager, surveyors found two liquid egg cartons in the refrigerator without an opened date label, as well as one bag of chicken tenders and one bag of tilapia in the freezer without opened date labels. In addition, one bag of hot dog buns was found without an opened date label. The facility’s written policy, titled “Food Safety Requirements,” stated that all foods will be labeled, dated, and monitored, including refrigerated foods and leftovers, so that they are used by their use‑by date. In interviews, the Dietary Manager stated that food should be labeled with the date it is opened and the expiration date, and that if food has no opened date or expiration date label, kitchen staff should dispose of it immediately because eating from open, undated food could pose a risk to residents. The registered dietitian stated that the expectation was that all food products are properly labeled and dated upon delivery and storage, and again once items are opened, noting that the risk included not knowing when the food was received, stored, or opened. These observations and statements show that staff did not consistently follow the facility’s established food safety requirements for labeling and dating opened food items.
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