Improper Preparation and Consistency of Pureed Cabbage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure pureed foods were prepared in accordance with individual needs and facility recipes, specifically in the preparation of pureed cabbage served at one lunch meal to 22 residents on pureed or mechanical soft diets. During observation of the puree preparation, a staff member removed cooked cabbage from the oven, measured its temperature at 205.2°F, and portioned 33 four-ounce servings of cabbage along with all of the cooking liquid into a food processor. Over the course of the preparation, the staff member added four tablespoons of thickener and reblended the mixture multiple times before placing the pureed cabbage into a steamer for hot holding. The facility’s written recipe for braised cabbage directed that excess water be drained off before pureeing, but this step was not followed. Subsequent observations during trayline service showed that the pureed cabbage, held on the steam table, had a runny consistency that spread across the plate and did not hold its shape when scooped with a #8 scoop. Food temperatures taken before service showed the pureed cabbage at 181°F. The district manager confirmed that residents on pureed or mechanical soft diets received this pureed cabbage and acknowledged that the consistency observed on the plates was not appropriate. A test tray sampled later the same day showed the pureed cabbage remained runny and had broken down while on the steam table, losing some of its consistency. Review of the facility’s therapeutic diet policy indicated that diets are to be prepared according to the approved diet manual and individualized care plans, and review of the cabbage recipe confirmed that draining excess water was required but had not been done.
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