Failure to Serve Palatable Food at Safe and Appetizing Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide food that was palatable and at an appetizing temperature, as required by its own policy and regulatory standards. Facility policy stated that food should be prepared to conserve nutritive value, flavor, and appearance, and served as close to tray service as possible to ensure acceptable temperatures. Resident council and food committee minutes documented complaints about cold food and significant delays in meal tray delivery, with reports of trays being served up to 45 minutes late. During an interview, a resident reported that their food was often served cold. On the day of observation, kitchen temperature logs showed that food items were at appropriate temperatures when leaving the kitchen. However, direct observation revealed that meal carts sat in the hallway before trays were distributed, resulting in a significant delay. When a test tray was checked at the end of the delivery process, food temperatures had dropped well below the initial readings, and the items were found to be unpalatable due to being cool. The Dietary Manager confirmed the unacceptable temperatures and poor palatability at the time of tray testing.