Failure to Ensure Proper Beard Restraints During Food Service
Penalty
Summary
During a kitchen tour and meal service observation, it was found that a cook with a visible goatee beard was handling food items on the steam table without wearing a beard restraint, as required by facility policy. Additionally, a dietary assistant assisting with food placement on the steam table had a beard restraint that did not fully cover his facial hair, leaving part of his beard exposed. Both staff members were in direct contact with food items, including hamburgers, chicken, and condiments, while not in compliance with the staff attire policy, which mandates that facial hair be properly restrained. These observations were confirmed through interviews with the Dietary District Manager and the Food Service Director, both of whom acknowledged that beards should have been fully covered during food handling.