Food Safety Requirements
Cited for F812? Here's what surveyors were looking for, how serious it tends to be, and how to structure a Plan of Correction that holds up.
Citation figures from the CMS Provider Data Catalog. Rank reflects the most recent CASPER data.
What the regulation says
What F812 actually means
F812 is a #2-ranked tag for one reason: it's an observation tag. Surveyors don't cite it from your dietary manual. They cite what they see on the kitchen tour. Food out of temperature, undated or expired items, a can opener with buildup, a dish machine that doesn't reach sanitizing temperature. Almost every F812 is something visible in the moment, which is exactly why it's so common and so preventable.
What surveyors check
The kitchen and pantry tour is the core. They check holding and cooling temperatures, opened-and-dated labeling, expiration dates, sanitation of surfaces and equipment, the dish machine's wash and sanitizer readings, staff hand hygiene and hair restraint, thawing practices, and pest control. They also check unit pantries and nourishment rooms, which facilities often forget are in scope.
What most often triggers it
- Refrigerated or hot-held food outside safe temperature range
- Opened items not dated, or expired items still available for use
- Equipment not clean: can opener, slicer, ice machine, prep surfaces
- Dish machine not reaching required wash or sanitizer temperature
- Improper thawing (room temperature) or cooling practices
- Staff hygiene lapses: no hair restraint, hand hygiene missed
How serious is it? Scope & severity
F812 usually lands D–F: a sanitation or temperature gap with potential for harm but no documented illness. It escalates only when contamination causes actual harm, a foodborne illness event, which is rare but pushes it to G and above quickly.
The CMS scope & severity grid runs from an isolated no-harm gap (A) up through widespread Immediate Jeopardy (L). The level a surveyor assigns drives how urgent and far-reaching your Plan of Correction must be.
Example citation
How to write the Plan of Correction
(1) Discard or correct the specific items cited and check the equipment or temperature source. (2) Identify scope: audit all refrigeration, unit pantries, and equipment for the same issue. (3) Systemic change: re-educate dietary and nursing staff on temperature, dating, and sanitation standards; revise logs if the monitoring system failed. (4) Monitoring: dietary manager audits temperature logs and does sanitation rounds on a defined schedule, reporting through QAPI.
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Upload your citation →Need the policy behind it? Food and Nutrition Services policies & procedures →Common questions
What is F812?+−
The CMS tag for food safety, under 42 CFR §483.60(i), covering food procurement, storage, preparation, and service to professional standards.
What most commonly triggers it?+−
Out-of-temperature food, undated or expired items, and unclean equipment found on the kitchen tour.
How serious is it?+−
Usually a no-harm "D–F"; higher only if contamination causes illness.
How do you respond?+−
Correct the items, audit all food storage and equipment, re-educate staff, and put dietary-manager auditing in place.
Related tags
This page is a compliance reference and does not constitute legal or clinical advice.