Failure to Ensure Nutritive Value and Palatability of Pureed Foods
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to ensure the nutritive value and palatability of pureed food prepared for a resident requiring a regular, puree consistency diet. During meal preparation, the cook blended turkey with a large, unmeasured amount of apple juice and thickener, resulting in a mixture that tasted sweet and no longer resembled turkey, as confirmed by multiple staff members and the surveyor. The same process was used for stuffing and green beans, with apple juice and thickener added in unmeasured amounts, leading to altered flavors and textures. The cook relied on visual observation and personal experience rather than following facility recipes or measuring ingredients, and did not wash the blender between different food items until prompted by another staff member. Staff interviews revealed that the use of apple juice was a standard practice to decrease salt content in pureed meals, but this was not in accordance with the facility's recipes or policies. The Registered Dietitian and Culinary Manager acknowledged that the food's flavor was altered and that the cook did not follow the prescribed recipes. Additionally, the cook dipped a cup into the thickener container multiple times, placing it back on the table surface, raising concerns about potential cross-contamination. The facility's policy requires therapeutic diets and meal plans to be provided as nutrition interventions, with diet orders matching approved diet manuals and menus, which was not followed in this instance.