Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Handling and Hand Hygiene
Penalty
Summary
During a lunch service observation, dietary staff failed to follow safe and sanitary food handling practices. One dietary employee locked a resident's wheelchair brake and then, without performing hand hygiene, handled tongs to place a lemon slice into a drink and touched the inside of a lemon slice container. This employee also touched the back of another staff member before handling food items, again without hand hygiene. Another dietary employee was observed grabbing hot dog and hamburger buns with bare hands, opening them, and plating them without performing hand hygiene. This employee also touched his waist, lower back, and face, then continued to handle food and plates, with his thumb repeatedly touching the food portion of the plates. Interviews with the employees confirmed these actions, and the dietary manager acknowledged that staff should not touch food or their clothing, glasses, or face without performing hand hygiene.