Failure to Provide Palatable Meals at Appropriate Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food and drink were palatable, attractive, and served at safe and appetizing temperatures. Resident Council meeting minutes from two separate meetings documented resident complaints about cold food and dry meat. During the initial pool process, three residents reported concerns regarding meal temperature, texture, taste, and portion size. Review of the facility’s Culinary and Nutrition Test form showed required point-of-service temperatures of greater than 135°F for hot entrées and starches and less than 41°F for cold entrées and desserts. A test tray evaluation conducted on January 12, 2026, showed that while portion sizes were adequate, the chicken tenders, mixed vegetables, and potato salad were not palatable for temperature, and the potato salad was also not palatable for texture or taste. The test tray was placed on a meal cart and delivered to a unit, with 14 minutes elapsing before evaluation. At the time of evaluation, the Food Service Director recorded the following temperatures: chicken tenders at 115°F, potato salad at 44°F, mixed vegetables at 123°F, chocolate pudding at 42°F, and milk at 44°F. The potato salad was described as having hard potatoes and a thin, bland, stark white dressing. The potato salad was made in-house, and review of the recipe showed it contained potatoes, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, yellow mustard, salt, black pepper, and mayonnaise; the Food Service Director noted that mustard should have been used and that there was not a significant amount of mustard in the recipe.
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