Dear MCAD students, faculty and staff,
I am writing to provide a follow-up on the undercooked chicken tender incident that occurred at The MCAD Café on Thursday, August 29, 2024. This incident has been taken very seriously by American Dining Creations, including our District Manager. The development and safety of our customers are of utmost importance to us.
We have initiated a thorough investigation into the root cause of this error to prevent similar incidents in the future. Our preliminary findings indicate that the undercooking was caused by the overfilling of the frying basket. This led to one of the chicken tenders being wedged between others, preventing it from cooking fully.
As part of our ongoing response to the recent undercooked chicken tender incident, I would like to share the immediate actions we are implementing to enhance our food safety protocols.
To ensure that all chicken tenders are cooked properly, we are instituting enhanced **frying procedures**. Effective immediately, all chicken tenders will be closely monitored during the frying process. We will ensure that baskets are filled to the appropriate capacity, allowing for optimal cooking and preventing any items from becoming wedged or improperly cooked.
Additionally, we are introducing a **temperature verification** step. A designated management member will now verify that all fried foods reach an internal temperature of 165°F before being served to our customers. This critical verification will help us maintain the integrity of our fried products and significantly reduce the likelihood of any discrepancies in the future.
We sincerely regret the incident involving undercooked chicken tenders and the disruption it has caused to our valued customers and staff at MCAD. We want to assure you that we are fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and food safety in all our operations.
Thank you.
Quintin L Eason
Vice President Higher Education | Dining Services | American Dining Creations