Failure to Serve Room Trays at Safe and Palatable Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to serve room trays at a palatable and safe temperature, as required by federal and state regulations. Observations revealed that a resident who sometimes eats meals in their room reported that the food is cold most of the time. On the day of observation, the hot box used to transport and keep food warm was moved from the kitchen to the resident hallway and plugged in. When lunch trays were served, the hot box temperature was 167 degrees, but the actual food temperatures on a test tray were measured at 130 degrees for pork roast and macaroni and cheese, and 124 degrees for carrots. These temperatures were below the required 135 degrees for hot foods, as specified by the Nebraska Food Code. Interviews with the chef and the Certified Dietary Manager confirmed that the food temperatures were too low to be served and that the facility did not have a specific policy regarding serving temperatures, instead relying on the Nebraska Food Code as a guideline. The facility served nine room trays from the hot box at these substandard temperatures. The administrator also confirmed that hot food should be served at 135 degrees or higher and acknowledged that the food served was not at a palatable temperature.