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Q&A
Quality assurance and monitoring of food in NYC shelters
1:32:52
ยท
105 sec
Council Member Salamanca inquires about the processes for ensuring food quality in NYC shelters. The discussion reveals a multi-layered approach to food quality assurance and monitoring.
- Shelter providers are responsible for monthly quality reviews of food served at their facilities
- Reviews include checking adherence to approved menus, food appearance, taste, and portion sizes
- DHS staff conduct bi-annual quality reviews, while DOHMH performs annual inspections focusing on food safety
- Shelter staff taste-test meals and check food temperature and quantity
- Sample meals are retained for DOHMH review
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
1:32:52
Quality assurance, how how how is how is this monitored in terms of their food?
1:32:57
How do you get to this data in terms of the scoring card?
Jill Berry
1:33:04
So for the quality assurance, each shelter is responsible for monthly quality review of of the food being served at their shelter.
1:33:16
They are looking specifically at whether the the food is adhering to the menu that was approved by DHS, that appearance of the food, the taste of the food, and the quantity and size of the portions is largely what the shelters are doing.
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
1:33:38
So the provider self monitors themselves and reports back to you?
Jill Berry
1:33:43
The provider, the shelter provider is monitoring the food quality of the food that they are receiving from the food vendor that they contracted with.
1:33:53
For the food that we are directly providing, we are sending staff out to do quality reviews of that food.
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
1:33:59
Alright.
1:33:59
So the provider selects the food vendor and the the shelter provider, and the shelter provider is responsible for monitoring the food.
1:34:06
And you said that they monitor the food by they test it themselves, they eat the food themselves?
Jill Berry
1:34:11
Absolutely.
1:34:12
They are they're checking temperature, they're checking quantity, they're checking taste.
1:34:17
And and that was that is one way of checking food.
1:34:21
We also have the DHS staff are going out twice a year and and DOHMH is going out once a year.
1:34:28
They're really focused a lot more on food safety.
1:34:31
Mhmm.
1:34:32
But they are but the sample meals also have to be held for DOHMH to review.