F0804

D

Unpalatable Ground Turkey Meal Served Instead of Planned Roasted Turkey

Streator, Illinois Survey Completed on 03-04-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide palatable meals as planned on the menu, specifically related to a turkey meal served to multiple residents. The facility’s Food Purchasing policy requires that food and supplies be purchased according to the planned menus, which called for roasted turkey. Instead, on the identified Sunday, the cook prepared only two turkeys of approximately 8–10 pounds each for 103 residents, plus 10 residents who receive double portions. To make the turkey go farther, the cook rough chopped (ground) the turkey and added gravy, resulting in a ground turkey dish rather than the roasted turkey specified on the menu.

Multiple residents and a family member reported that the ground turkey meal was unpalatable and visually unappealing. One concern form documented that everyone’s turkey was ground up at lunch and that nobody really wanted to eat, and that the kitchen declined to prepare multiple grilled cheese sandwiches as an alternative. Another concern form documented that the food was inedible. One resident stated the turkey was “nasty,” looked like “slop,” and that he did not eat it, and another resident reported that she did not think anyone in the dining room ate it and that the kitchen said they were not making a bunch of grilled cheeses as substitutes. A family member stated that ground turkey was served instead of roasted turkey and that the resident, who loved turkey, absolutely refused to eat it.