DISCARDING CONTAMINATED FOOD

 

POLICY STATEMENT:

The Division of Veterans Healthcare Services requires each of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes to develop and implement protocols that ensure the proper handling and discarding of outdated and/or contaminated food products/items.

PURPOSE:

This policy and procedure shall serve to ensure that outdated food products/items, determined to be hazardous for consumption (contaminated), are handled and discarded in the appropriate manner. All Food Service facilities shall operate with safe food handling practices in accordance with New Jersey Sanitary Code, N.J.A.C. 8:24.

DEFINITION:

CONTAMINATED FOOD PRODUCT – A food product or related item that is outdated or beyond the recommended expiration date, appears to be, or has been determined to be, potentially hazardous for consumption.

PROCEDURE:

A. New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes

  1. The New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes shall establish protocols in accordance with Federal and State regulatory and licensing requirements that assure that outdated and/or contaminated food products are handled and discarded properly.

 

Food Service Department

 

a. The Food Services Supervisor/designee must view all food products to ensure that the products are not outdated, have not been held at an unsafe temperature, or have not otherwise been contaminated in any way.

b. In the event of a fire, flood, power outage, improper storage, etc… that may result in the contamination of food products in large quantities, the Food Services Supervisor/designee must view/inspect the product(s).

c. A food product determined to be contaminated must be investigated and reported immediately to the Chief Executive Officer/Designee, who will then inform the Director of Veterans Healthcare Services.

d. The product in question/under investigation shall be pulled from stock until it is determined to be safe.

e. If a contamination incident occurs, a written investigative narrative describing the involved circumstances, i.e., identification of the food product/item, type of contamination, quantity, and estimated dollar amount, along with a request to discard the food product/item, shall be submitted to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer/designee.
  i. NO CONTAMINATED FOOD PRODUCT shall be discarded without the approval of the Chief Executive Officer/designee.
  f. The Business Manager will receive a copy of the notification and discard request.


Infection Control and Quality Improvement Departments:

 

a. Will review to determine if appropriate measures have been taken to inspect, test, and if necessary, properly discard/dispose of the product in question.

b. Will review investigative findings and corrective actions to ensure concerned areas or areas of vulnerability have been addressed.

 

Revised: July 2005

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