Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Handling Practices
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a dietary aide (DA2) failed to maintain sanitary conditions while serving food. DA2, who had a band-aid on one finger and was not wearing gloves, was observed temping food items on the food line. DA2 left the food line to retrieve a wet cloth from a bucket with bare hands, wiped down a shelf above the food, and then returned the soiled cloth to the bucket. DA2 did not perform hand hygiene after handling the soiled rag and before returning to the food line, and subsequently touched the lid of a food item. Additionally, DA2 did not wear a finger cot over the bandaged wound while handling food, as required by facility policy. Interviews with the dietary manager, district manager of food services, and other dietary staff confirmed that proper hand hygiene and the use of protective coverings for wounds are required when handling food. DA2 acknowledged not washing hands after cleaning and not wearing gloves while wiping down the shelf, attributing the lapse to being distracted. The facility's policy mandates handwashing and glove use to prevent contamination, but these procedures were not followed during the observed incident.