Failure to Maintain Safe and Palatable Food Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide food that was palatable and maintained at safe and appetizing temperatures, as required by its policy. The policy titled "Serving of Food (Point of Service)" dated July 2025 required all hot food to be held at or above 135°F, cold food at or below 41°F, and all food items to be served at a palatable temperature. A resident interview revealed that one resident reported his food was always cold. A test tray taken for a specific resident on the Faith Wing cart showed that both hot and cold items were out of the required temperature ranges, with pears at 53.4°F, a salmon patty at 125.9°F, green beans at 117.5°F, and pasta at 112.8°F, and the Dietary Manager confirmed that all these temperatures were out of range and that the hot items were cold. Review of facility food temperature logs over multiple months showed repeated failures to maintain cold foods at or below 41°F. In November, December, January, and February, numerous cold items such as fruit cups, three bean salad, peaches, turkey and egg salad sandwiches, tossed salads, puddings, fresh fruit, cucumbers, cole slaw, macaroni salad, tomato slices, vegetable salads, squash rounds, marinated vegetables, apple crisp, tuna salad, cottage cheese, beet salad, and mandarin oranges consistently measured between approximately 46°F and just over 50°F, above the facility’s stated cold-holding standard. These findings demonstrated an ongoing pattern of serving cold foods at temperatures higher than the policy requirement. During an interview, the Nursing Home Administrator and the DON acknowledged that they would expect food to be served at appropriate temperatures.
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