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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Quality control and feedback systems for shelter meals
0:11:57
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DHS implements various quality control and feedback systems to ensure meal quality in shelters. These systems involve multiple layers of oversight and adherence to established standards.
- Meals must adhere to New York City food standards and sanitary codes
- DHS nutritionists analyze vendor menus for compliance
- Monthly meal quality tests conducted by shelter directors
- Providers submit menus with nutritional information for review
- Samples of all meals are kept for potential microbial testing
- Inspections by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and DHS staff
- Non-compliance can result in corrective action plans
Kate MacKenzie
0:11:57
There's a variety of quality control and feedback systems in place that are used to measure and control quality.
0:12:05
All meals are required to adhere to the New York City food standards and meal service must adhere to sanitary codes.
0:12:12
These standards, the food standards, are updated every three years based on current scientific evidence and the ability of the industry to meet those standards coupled with specific agency feedback.
0:12:27
Menus from the vendors are sent to the DHS nutritionists and are analyzed to determine compliance to these standards.
0:12:36
And as you noted, in fiscal twenty five, that was the first year that there are food standards were required for agencies to solicit client or consumer feedback centrally to DHS.
0:12:51
DHS also requires that shelter directors or their designees conduct monthly meal quality tests.
0:12:59
These tests evaluate temperature, appearance, and accuracy for each meal period, again breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
0:13:07
Providers are required to submit menus with nutritional information to DHS for review when initiating meal services and whenever there is a change in the vendor or the menu.
0:13:19
It's worth noting that menus are typically updated on a seasonal basis.
0:13:24
Providers will have a springsummer menu and then also a winterfall menu.
0:13:29
If a menu is found to be non compliant to what has been submitted, DHS provides feedback and as needed technical assistance.
0:13:38
Providers are also required to keep a sample of all meals for a prescribed period of time, two days in a fridge or three days in a freezer.
0:13:48
These samples are subject to microbial testing by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the case of a suspected food poisoning infection.
0:13:59
Together, this process of inspections and reviews by our health department and our Department of Homeless Services provide continual monitoring and assessment of food quality at the DHS shelters.
0:14:12
Through all of these systems, from client level feedback to the checks of DOHMH and the inspections that DHS staff conduct, these all could result in corrective action plans warranted.