Failure to Follow Food Service Safety Standards During Meal Preparation
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to follow professional standards for food service safety during meal preparation and service. During observation, a dietary aide was seen taking food temperatures at the steam table but did not allow the thermometer to dry after cleaning it with an alcohol wipe before placing it into the next food item. This practice was repeated for all foods being checked. Additionally, the dietary aide did not take the temperature of all food items, specifically omitting ground and pureed foods on the steam table. When questioned, the dietary aide stated that only certain foods deemed important were being checked for temperature. The facility's policy requires that temperatures for each food product and milk be measured and recorded at all meals, and that thermometers used for this purpose must be clean, sanitized, and dry before use. The dietary manager confirmed that all food temperatures should be taken at every meal and that the thermometer should be dry before being used in another food item. These observations and staff interviews demonstrate that the facility did not consistently store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety, potentially affecting all residents.