F0804

E

Failure to Serve Meals at Required Hot and Cold Holding Temperatures

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Survey Completed on 03-25-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The facility failed to ensure that food and drink were served at appetizing and policy-compliant temperatures. The facility’s policy dated February 12, 2026, required cold foods to be served between 33°F and 50°F and hot foods between 135°F and 155°F. A resident reported on March 23, 2026, that hot foods were often not hot when received. For the lunch meal on March 24, 2026, the planned menu included salmon fillet, stir-fried rice, green beans, pickled beets with onions, and cheesecake. Temperatures taken prior to meal service showed the salmon at 155°F, stir-fried rice at 168°F, green beans at 165°F, and pickled beets at 41°F, which were within or above the policy range at that point.

During observation of the lunch meal service on the Dogwood unit on March 24, 2026, at 12:07 p.m., Homeworker 1 plated hot items directly from the steam table and cold items from containers on the counter for a test tray. When she took the temperatures of the foods once plated, the salmon measured 126°F, stir-fried rice 134°F, green beans 123.9°F, pickled beets 63.5°F, and cheesecake 50.3°F, showing that hot foods had fallen below the required minimum of 135°F and the pickled beets exceeded the maximum 50°F for cold foods. At 12:13 p.m., tasting of the test tray revealed the salmon and green beans were lukewarm and the pickled beets were not cold. Homeworker 1 acknowledged that the hot food temperatures were a little low and the beet temperature was a little high, and she referred to the tray line sheet for recommended temperatures.