Failure to Follow Standardized Recipes for Pureed Diets
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food recipes for pureed diets were followed during food preparation. Specifically, during observations, the cook did not adhere to the standardized recipes for pureed baked beans and deluxe coleslaw by adding thickener to both dishes, despite the recipes not calling for thickener. The cook prepared 36 ounces of each dish, intended for eight residents on pureed diets, and added thickener before setting the food aside at the desired temperature. Review of the facility's recipes confirmed that thickener was not to be added to these items. Interviews with the cook, the certified dietary supervisor, and the registered dietitian confirmed that the recipes were not followed as written. The facility's policy and procedures require that menu items be prepared according to written menus and standardized recipes to preserve or enhance residents' nutrition and hydration status. These failures had the potential to decrease food palatability and, consequently, the amount of food consumed by the eight residents on pureed diets.