State health officials have flunked the food service at the Silverdale Detention Center. In response, a new manager has been brought in.
On May 13, the Tennessee Department of Health conducted a food inspection at the jail. Officials said, "Center. This inspection was promoted after a complaint was made to the Department of Health regarding the food served by our contracted food vendor, Aramark.
Due to deficiencies noting operational issues under the responsibility of our food service vendor, the Silverdale Detention Center did not pass this food inspection.
"HCSO administration has met with Aramark leadership on-site and shared our concerns with their management. In addition to their plan of action, Aramark has installed a new Food Services manager at the facility to oversee the kitchen operations and ensure their plan of action is implemented successfully."
Aramark District Manager Wes Landers said, “Nothing is more important to Aramark than food safety. We are taking immediate measures to correct these issues and are committed to providing continued training for staff and building a positive, safe and healthy dining environment for the Silverdale Detention Center.”
The Sheriff's Office said, "In addition to the operational issues noted by the Health Department pertaining to Aramark’s operations, there were two cosmetic issues noted by inspectors the HCSO is responsible for mediating. The first issue involves painting the kitchen facility and the second is patching a hole in the drywall on one of the walls. It is important to note, our personnel were already aware of these two cosmetic concerns and our maintenance personnel have a plan to mitigate them in the near future. These two issues are not new issues and were present during all previous Health Department inspections as well both Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) inspections that the facility passed. The most recent re-inspection by TCI occurred on Friday, May 6, 2022 and we received a passing notation by their inspectors."
Sheriff Jim Hammond said, “While Silverdale’s recent health report is disappointing, I am confident Aramark Corporation is taking this incident very seriously and their management has indicated to me that this is in no way acceptable for their company nor is it conducive to their standards of operations. The HCSO is committed to excellence and we will continue to work with Aramark to ensure the inmates in our custody receive the best quality services possible that meet or exceed Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) and Health Department standards.”
On Thursday morning, at approximately 10:30 am, the Health Department conducted a re-inspection of the kitchen facilities at the Silverdale Detention Center. Upon completion, the facility received a passing score of 89 after several operational improvements were made and issues were resolved.
Officials said, "This re-inspection, completed just days after the initial inspection on May 13, demonstrates Aramark’s commitment to ensuring the best possible food services for the inmates in our custody."
HCSO and Aramark personnel will continue to work with the Health Department to ensure all remaining issues are resolved in a timely manner and the standards remain.