1. (a) The licensee shall provide food services that:

   1. (1) Meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommended dietary allowance as specified in the United States Department of Agriculture’s “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025” (Ninth Edition), available as noted in Appendix A;
   2. (2) Provide the nutritional needs of each resident; and
   3. (3) Meet the special dietary needs associated with health or medical conditions for each resident as identified on the CARES tool.
2. (b) Each resident shall be offered at least 3 meals in each 24-hour period when the resident is in the licensed premises unless contraindicated by the resident’s care plan.
3. (c) Snacks shall be available and offered between meals and at bedtime if not contraindicated by the resident’s care plan.
4. (d) If a resident refuses the item(s) on the menu, a substitute shall be offered.
5. (e) Each day’s menu shall be posted in a place accessible to food service personnel and residents.
6. (f) A dated record of menus as served shall be maintained for at least the previous 4 weeks.
7. (g) The licensee shall provide therapeutic diets to residents only as ordered by a licensed practitioner or other professional with prescriptive authority.
8. (h) If a resident has a pattern of refusing to follow a prescribed diet, personnel shall document the reason for the refusal in the resident’s medical record and notify the resident’s licensed practitioner.

9. (i) All food and drink provided to the residents shall be:

   1. (1) Safe for human consumption and free of spoilage or other contamination;
   2. (2) Stored, prepared, and served in a manner consistent with safe food handling practices for the prevention of food borne illnesses, including but not limited to those set forth in He-P 2300 and Chapter 3, entitled “Food”, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administrations’ “Food Code” (2017 Edition), available as noted in Appendix A;
   3. (3) Served at the proper temperatures;
   4. (4) Labeled, dated, and stored at proper temperatures;
   5. (5) Stored so as to protect it from dust, insects, rodents, overhead leakage, unnecessary handling, and all other sources of contamination; and
   6. (6) Stored in labeled and dated containers designed for food storage, if not in the original package.
10. (j) The use of expired, unlabeled food or canned goods that have damage to their hermetic seal shall be prohibited and such goods shall be immediately discarded. The dates associated with such terms as “sell by”, “use by”, or “best if used by” shall not constitute the expiration date.
11. (k) All work surfaces shall be non-porous and cleaned and sanitized after each use.
12. (l) All dishes, utensils, and glassware shall be in good repair, cleaned, and sanitized after each use and properly stored.
13. (m) All food service equipment shall be kept clean and maintained according to manufacturer’s guidelines.
14. (n) Food service areas shall not be used to empty bedpans or urinals or as access to toilet and utility rooms.
15. (o) If soiled linen is transported through food service areas, the linen shall be in an impervious container.
16. (p) Garbage or trash in the kitchen area shall be placed in lined containers with covers which shall remain closed except when in use.
17. (q) All personnel involved in the preparing and serving of food shall wash their hands and exposed portions of their arms with liquid soap and running water before handling or serving food.
18. (r) Regularly scheduled training programs including sanitation and safety shall be made available to food service personnel. Information as to the content and length of this training shall be documented and kept in employee records.

Source. #8746, eff 10-25-06; ss by #10813, eff 4-21-15; ss by #14358, eff 8-28-25, EXPIRES: 8-28-35