Improper Food Storage and Labeling Practices in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s food storage and handling practices in the kitchen, where multiple food items were not labeled, dated, sealed, or stored in accordance with facility policy and professional standards. During a kitchen observation, surveyors found a clear plastic container with a white granulated substance lying on the pantry floor with its lid off and the contents spilled, an unsealed zip bag of pasta, an unsealed bag of tortilla chips, an open box containing an unsealed bag of rice, and an unsealed, unlabeled, and undated plastic tote of a white granulated substance on pantry shelves. In the refrigerator, they observed an unsealed zip bag of yellow shredded cheese and more than a dozen uncovered, unlabeled, and undated Styrofoam cups containing a fruit substance. In the chest freezer, they found an opened box with an unsealed bag of frozen cookie dough. These conditions were inconsistent with the facility’s written policies requiring dry foods in bins to be removed from original packaging, labeled, dated, and rotated using first-in/first-out, and requiring all refrigerated and frozen foods to be covered, labeled, and dated. During interviews, the Dietary Manager (DM) acknowledged the opened items in the pantry and stated that all dietary staff were responsible for ensuring food was stored correctly, but also indicated he often corrected improperly stored food himself without always addressing it with the responsible staff. A dietary staff member reported he had been trained on proper food storage and rotation, including use of zip bags and labeling and dating, and stated he had seen the sugar tub with the lid off and would close it or notify the DM. Another dietary staff member confirmed she had been trained on proper storage, acknowledged the open shredded cheese should have been sealed, and stated that all dietary staff were supposed to store food properly. The Administrator stated his expectation that all food be stored properly and that it was the DM’s responsibility to ensure staff knew and followed the process. Facility policies on Food Receiving and Storage and Date Marking for Food Safety specified that foods must be stored in compliance with safe food handling practices, including covering, labeling, and dating, and that the individual opening or preparing food is responsible for date marking at the time of opening or preparation.
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