Failure to Follow Menu Recipes and Meal Tickets Results in Incomplete and Improperly Prepared Meals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain the nutritive value of food by not following the prescribed menu recipe for baked ziti with meat sauce and by not ensuring that residents received all items ordered on their lunch trays. During observation, a dietary staff member prepared baked ziti without measuring the required amounts of sauce, cottage cheese, and shredded cheese as specified in the facility's recipe. The staff member was unsure of the container measurements and used a jarred sauce product instead of preparing the sauce according to the recipe, which could affect the nutritional content, especially for residents on salt-free diets. Additionally, two residents did not receive all the food items listed on their meal tickets; specifically, pureed garlic bread was missing, and a pureed brownie was served instead of a moist iced brownie. The registered dietitian confirmed that not following meal tickets and recipes could impact the quality, taste, nutritional value, and caloric intake of the meals provided. The facility's policy required menus to be served as written unless substitutions were necessary, but this was not adhered to during the observed meal service.