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 such as kielbasa sausage, green beans, and macaroni salad using cold milk as a thinning agent, resulting in food temperatures below the required threshold. The staff member responsible did not reheat the foods to the appropriate temperature after mechanically altering them and did not take additional temperature readings before serving. The dietary manager (DM) and other dietary leadership confirmed that food temperatures should be taken after preparation and prior to service, and that the use of cold milk could lower food temperatures below safe levels. Additionally, the facility failed to document required food temperatures on the temperature log for multiple meals over several days. There was no evidence that holding temperatures were taken or recorded for numerous breakfasts, lunches, and dinners within the reviewed period. The DM stated that cooks were responsible for obtaining and recording temperatures, and that she monitored compliance, but could not explain missing documentation for certain meals. The contracted dietary operations officer and the facility dietitian both stated that food temperatures should be checked after preparation and again before service, and that foods not at the correct temperature could cause illness. Facility policy and the FDA Food Code require that mechanically altered foods be reheated to at least 165°F for 15 seconds and that hot foods be held at or above 135°F. The policy also mandates that temperatures be taken and recorded prior to meal service. The review of facility records showed repeated failures to meet these requirements, with missing temperature documentation and improper handling of pureed foods, placing residents at risk for foodborne illness as directly stated by staff in the report.