F0812

F

Food Storage, Labeling, and Temperature Control Deficiencies in Dietary Services

Macomb, Illinois Survey Completed on 01-14-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves failure to maintain sanitary food storage, labeling, dating, and preparation practices, as well as failure to ensure proper food temperatures and glove use, with the potential to affect all 44 residents in the facility. Surveyors reviewed facility policies dated 12/30/2024, which required all food to be appropriately dated, expiration dates to be observed with a three-day expiration once food is opened, and prepared food stored in the refrigerator until service to be dated. Policies also required food to be stored per local, state, and federal guidelines and hot foods being reheated to reach at least 165°F for 15 seconds. During an initial kitchen visit, surveyors observed multiple unlabeled and undated items in the freezer, including partial bags of frozen sugar cookies, fish patties, garlic bread slices, and hamburger patties. In the refrigerator, they observed an opened margarine bar with no date; three ham and cheese sandwiches covered with plastic wrap without labels or dates; a diced pears tub made on 01/05/2026 with an expiration date of 01/09/2026; a medium container with a brown substance covered with plastic wrap and no label or date; a container with four cooked chicken breasts made on 12/29/2025 with an expiration date of 01/04/2026; and several condiment and food containers (mayonnaise, soy sauce, Italian dressing, sliced cheese, and pineapple chunks) that were not labeled or dated.

In the dry storage room, surveyors observed a basket with five snack-size plastic bags of cereal and chocolate chips that were not labeled or dated, a container of rolled oats without a date, a half bag of elbow macaroni without a date, and a half loaf of raisin bread without a date. During steam table temperature checks, a cook did not wear gloves while using the facility food thermometer to check chicken tenders on the steam table, touching the chicken directly, and then picked up a roll with bare hands while acknowledging that gloves should have been worn. The cook continued taking temperatures and, when checking mechanical chicken tenders, obtained a reading of 112°F, then reheated the chicken to 140°F and stated it was supposed to be at 140°F, despite facility policy requiring reheating to at least 165°F. The mechanical chicken was not served to residents after the dietary manager intervened. The facility’s CMS Form 671 documented that 44 residents resided in the facility at the time of the survey.