(a) A provider agency must use supplies and meal transport carriers so that hot foods are packaged and transported separately from cold foods.
(b) A provider agency must use meal transport carriers to transport trays or containers of hot or cold foods that may be easily damaged and must enclose the carriers to protect such food from contamination, crushing, or spillage. The provider agency must equip these carriers with insulation and/or supplemental hot or cold sources, as necessary to maintain safe temperatures.
(c) Meal packaging must be:
  (1) sealed to prevent moisture loss or spillage to the outside of the container;
  (2) maintained at a safe temperature throughout transport;
  (3) designed with compartments to separate food items for visual appeal and minimize spillage between compartments; and
  (4) easy for the client to open.

Source Note: The provisions of this §281.23 adopted to be effective March 1, 2004, 29 TexReg 1672; transferred effective June 28, 2024, as published in the June 7, 2024, issue of the Texas Register, 49 TexReg 4063