Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Service Practices
Penalty
Summary
During a lunch meal service, multiple staff members failed to follow proper food handling and hygiene protocols. Dietary Aides were observed carrying and serving glasses of juice and milk with their hands over the tops of the glasses, allowing their fingers to touch the rims before serving them to residents. Additionally, a Hospitality Manager was present in the food service area behind the service line without wearing a hairnet, standing above the food and assisting with checking meat temperatures. Another staff member, while wearing gloves, touched various surfaces including the outside of food packaging, utensils, paper menus, countertops, and then handled ready-to-eat food items such as buns and sandwiches without changing gloves between tasks. This staff member also handled a bun with bare hands before donning gloves and continued to touch multiple surfaces and food items without changing gloves as required. Facility policies required staff to wear hairnets in food preparation areas, avoid touching the tops of glasses when serving, and use gloves for one-time use when handling ready-to-eat foods, changing gloves between tasks. These expectations were confirmed by the Director of Dining. The observed actions were not in accordance with these policies, resulting in food being served under unsanitary conditions and increasing the risk of foodborne illness for the facility's residents. The facility had a reported census of 73 residents at the time of the observations.