Failure to Prevent Cross-Contamination During Food Handling
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure safe food handling practices were followed in the kitchen, resulting in potential cross-contamination affecting all residents who receive food or nourishment. During meal preparation, a cook dropped a cleaning towel onto the floor, then used it to wipe down food prep surfaces and equipment without replacing it or washing hands. The same towel was used to clean areas where food was later prepared, and no additional cleaning was performed on these surfaces before food contact. Additionally, scoops used to serve food were placed on potentially contaminated surfaces and then returned to food pans without being cleaned or replaced. Further, during the preparation of pureed foods, a staff member used a scoop to add food thickener to different food items. The scoop became contaminated with food residue when drops of creamed corn and pureed chicken fell onto it, but the same scoop was reused to access the bulk food thickener without being cleaned or sanitized. The contaminated scoop was then returned to the bulk bin, creating a risk of cross-contamination between food items. All residents, including those on tube feedings with pleasure feedings, were potentially affected as they received food from the kitchen.