Failure to Monitor Food Temperatures During Meal Service
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food temperatures were monitored prior to and during meal service, as required to prevent the risk of food-borne illness. Observations revealed that breakfast items such as scrambled eggs, sausage, and gravy were kept in crock pots set to the warm setting on both units, and staff served food directly from these crock pots without checking or recording food temperatures. This practice was observed over multiple days, with crock pots remaining on the warm setting for extended periods, and no evidence that temperatures were checked at any point during or after meal service. Interviews with dietary and nursing staff confirmed that food temperatures were not being monitored for breakfast, and staff were unsure who was responsible for this task. The facility was unable to provide breakfast temperature logs when requested, and the administrator acknowledged that breakfast was not included in their food temperature monitoring logs. The facility's own policy required that proper hot and cold food temperatures be maintained and monitored throughout meal service, but this was not followed for breakfast meals.