Sugar Creek Care Center: Cold Food Violations - PA
The test tray told the story plainly. When kitchen staff logged temperatures at the start of the lunch service on November 5, the pork read 170 degrees Fahrenheit, the baked potatoes 170, the corn 169. Those are acceptable numbers. But inspectors prepared a test tray at the end of the tray pass on the 600 Hall, and by 12:42 p.m., the same items had dropped to 138 degrees for the pork, 145 for the potatoes, 143 for the corn. Inspectors tasted everything. None of it was palatable.
The Dietary Manager was there for the tasting. She confirmed the temperatures were unacceptable and that the food did not pass.
What happened in between those two temperature readings is worth following. Cart 1 for the 600 Hall left the main kitchen at approximately 11:55 a.m. Inspectors then watched the tray line for Cart 2, with a test tray placed last on that cart. The Dietary Manager walked Cart 2 to the 600 Hall herself, arriving at 12:27 p.m. When she got there, Cart 1 was still sitting in the hallway. It had not been passed to residents yet. Both carts were finally distributed at 12:42 p.m., nearly 45 minutes after the first cart had left the kitchen.
That 45-minute figure was not a surprise to anyone who had been paying attention. Resident council minutes from August 5 and again from October 13 noted that lunch and dinner trays on the unit were being served up to 45 minutes late. The October minutes also recorded a specific complaint: a toasted cheese sandwich arrived cold. These are not anonymous grievances. They are documented, dated, and repeated.
The resident identified in the inspection report only as R6 lives on the 600 Hall. During an interview at 12:30 p.m. on November 5, the same day inspectors were running their test, R6 said the food is often served cold. That interview happened while the carts were still sitting in the hallway.
Sugar Creek's own meal service policy, dated June 4, 2025, states that food will be prepared in ways that conserve flavor and appearance, placed on trays as close to the time of actual service as possible, to ensure acceptable temperatures when the tray reaches the resident. The policy exists. The gap between the policy and what inspectors found on the 600 Hall that afternoon is what the inspection documents.
The deficiency was cited under a federal standard requiring that food and drink be palatable, attractive, and served at a safe and appetizing temperature. CMS categorized the level of harm as minimal harm or potential for actual harm, with few residents affected. The facility's identification number is 395777. The inspection was completed November 13, 2025.
What the record does not show is when the cold food on the 600 Hall started, or how many meals R6 ate cold before anyone with a thermometer showed up to confirm what residents had already been saying since at least August.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Sugar Creek Care Center from 2025-11-13 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 22, 2026 · Our methodology
SUGAR CREEK CARE CENTER in FRANKLIN, PA was cited for violations during a health inspection on November 13, 2025.
The test tray told the story plainly.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.