Failure to Monitor and Document Food Temperatures in Dietary Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all food service staff met local, state, and federal requirements regarding food safety, specifically in the areas of food temperature monitoring and documentation. During lunch service, staff pureed hot foods using cold milk as a thinning agent and did not reheat the foods to the required temperature of 165°F after mechanical alteration. Temperature readings taken immediately after pureeing showed the foods were below the required temperature, and no further temperature checks were performed before the food was plated and served. The staff member responsible stated she believed the steam table would bring the food to the correct temperature and did not take additional steps to ensure compliance. Interviews with the Dietary Manager (DM), Director of Operations (DOO) for contracted dietary staff, and the dietitian revealed inconsistent understanding and implementation of food temperature protocols. The DM acknowledged that food should be heated to above 165°F for hot foods and below 40°F for cold foods after preparation, but did not require temperatures to be retaken before service if initial readings were appropriate. The DOO and dietitian both stated that food temperatures should be checked after preparation and again prior to service, and that the steam table was not suitable for reheating food. The dietitian also noted that adding cold milk to hot foods could lower the temperature below safe levels, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. A review of the facility's Food Temperature and Evaluation Log for multiple meals over several days showed missing documentation of required food temperatures, with no evidence that holding temperatures were taken for numerous meals. Facility policy and FDA Food Code require that mechanically altered foods be reheated to 165°F for 15 seconds and that hot holding temperatures remain at or above 135°F, with corrective action if temperatures fall below this threshold. The lack of adherence to these protocols and incomplete documentation placed residents at risk for foodborne illness, as directly stated by staff in the report.