Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Storage and Labeling Practices
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves failure to maintain sanitary dietary standards and proper food storage practices in the main kitchen and two kitchenettes serving 79 residents. During an initial kitchen tour, surveyors observed multiple opened, undated food items in the walk-in freezer, including a resealable bag with three fish fillets, an opened bag of pepperoni, an opened bag of tater tots placed in a resealable bag, and an opened bag of cauliflower florets, none of which were labeled or dated. In the dry food storage room, there was an opened and undated bag of egg noodles. In the walk-in refrigerator, surveyors found a metal bowl covered with plastic wrap containing several slices of molded cheddar cheese. In the walk-in produce refrigerator, they observed a bag of broccoli with a manufacturer “best if used by” date that had passed, three bags of coleslaw mix that were soft, mushy, and appeared spoiled, with one bag containing brown fluid, and multiple peppers (jalapeno, green, red, and yellow) that were moldy, soft, wilted, wrinkled, or had blackened, moldy spots. Additional observations in the main kitchen and kitchenettes showed further failures to follow food storage policies. In the kitchen’s main area, there was a plastic container of choy noodles that was not dated. In one kitchenette refrigerator, two plastic bins of mixed fruit were not labeled or dated, and in a kitchenette cabinet, an opened bag of prunes and an opened bag of pretzels were also not dated. In a resident refrigerator within a kitchenette, surveyors found a box of pizza and a plate with a hamburger and tater tots covered in plastic wrap, neither of which were dated or labeled with a resident’s name. Dietary staff later stated that all opened food items were expected to be labeled and dated, that opened bags should be placed in resealable plastic bags and labeled and dated, and that dietary aides were responsible for checking kitchenettes after each meal to look for spoiled food and ensure items were labeled and dated. The facility’s Food Storage policy required all leftover and stored foods to be in covered or sealed containers, clearly labeled and dated, and used within specified time frames or discarded, which was not followed in these instances.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.