Failure to Ensure Hot Foods Served at Palatable Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that hot foods were served at a palatable temperature for residents, as required by policy and regulatory standards. Review of the facility's food temperature logs over several weeks revealed numerous instances where food temperatures were not obtained or recorded for breakfast, noon, and evening meals. The facility's policy required that food temperatures be taken and documented for all items prepared in the dietary department, with hot foods maintained at 135°F or higher and reheated foods reaching 165°F. However, logs showed repeated omissions in temperature documentation across multiple days and meals. Direct observations during a noon meal service showed dietary staff removing pre-cooked hot dogs and soup from the refrigerator, reheating them in the microwave, and serving them to residents without checking or recording the food temperatures. During an interview, dietary staff confirmed that temperatures were not obtained or documented for these items and acknowledged that this was a recurring issue, partly due to staffing concerns. This failure had the potential to affect all residents who consumed food from the kitchen.