Failure to Maintain Palatable and Safe Meal Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that resident meals were palatable and maintained at safe and appetizing temperatures, as required by the 2022 FDA Food Code. Observations and interviews revealed that hot foods were sometimes served below the required 135 degrees F, and cold foods were served above the required 41 degrees F. Specifically, a lunch meal taste tray showed pudding at 65.1 degrees F and carrots at 129 degrees F, both outside the acceptable temperature ranges. The pudding's holding temperature log for that meal was recorded at 53 degrees F, which did not meet the standard. Additionally, holding temperature logs for several dinner meals in June were found to be illegible, indicating a lack of proper documentation and monitoring. Multiple residents reported dissatisfaction with the quality and temperature of the food, describing meals as cold, tasteless, overcooked, or mushy. One resident with multiple diagnoses, including Multiple Sclerosis and depression, stated that the food was not good, with tough meat and soggy vegetables, and noted that meal quality was worse on weekends. The Facility Food Service Manager acknowledged that the holding temperature for desserts should have been lower and that the temperature logs should have been legible, but they were not on several dates.