Failure to Ensure Proper Use of Beard/Mustache Restraint by Kitchen Staff
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a kitchen staff member, Cook D, failed to maintain proper use of a beard/mustache restraint while handling food. During food temperature checks at the steam table, Cook D's beard guard had fallen, leaving his thin mustache exposed. This was directly observed by surveyors, and Cook D acknowledged that the restraint had fallen and was not covering his mustache at the time. The dietician confirmed that the hair restraint should have covered the mustache, and the dietary manager stated that all kitchen staff are required to wear hair restraints to cover hair while in the kitchen to prevent contamination. The facility's failure to ensure that food service staff properly wore hair restraints was not in accordance with professional standards and the 2017 U.S. FDA Food Code, which requires food employees to wear hair restraints designed to keep hair from contacting exposed food and food-contact surfaces. The incident was confirmed through interviews with the involved staff, the dietician, the dietary manager, and the administrator, as well as through direct observation.