Failure to Maintain and Monitor Hot Food Holding Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety during a lunch meal. Staff brought in hamburgers and tater tots from an outside source and placed them on the kitchen steam table. When temperatures were checked, the tater tots measured 129 degrees F, which is below the required holding temperature. The dietary manager acknowledged the low temperature and attempted to reheat the tater tots using the fryer. Despite this, staff proceeded to serve the tater tots from the dining room steam table without verifying the temperature of the food being served. Interviews with the dietary manager and another staff member revealed that food temperatures were not checked on the dining room steam table before serving, contrary to facility policy and staff training. Both staff members stated that food should be served at or above 140 degrees F, and acknowledged that the required temperature checks were not performed. The DON confirmed that maintaining proper food temperatures is necessary to prevent spoilage and ensure palatability, and that staff had been trained on these procedures. Facility policies reviewed also specified the required temperature range for hot food holding.