Failure to Follow Food Safety Standards in Kitchen Sanitation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food service safety in the kitchen, as evidenced by two specific incidents involving dietary staff. In the first instance, a Dietary Aide was observed standing over clean dishes on a food preparation table without properly wearing a beard guard, despite having approximately 8 inches of facial hair. The aide acknowledged not wearing the beard guard correctly and recognized the potential for hair to fall onto clean plates, which could then be transferred to food served to residents. The aide also confirmed he had been trained to wear beard guards and hair nets but could not recall the date of the training. In the second incident, another dietary staff member was observed handling shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes with bare hands while preparing food for residents' lunch. During this process, she placed her right hand inside her pants pocket to retrieve a permanent marker, wrote a date on a label, and then touched the lettuce with her fingers without washing or sanitizing her hands. The staff member admitted to not washing her hands after touching her pocket and acknowledged the possibility of transferring germs from her clothing to the food. She also stated she had received in-service training on hand hygiene but could not remember when it occurred. Interviews with the Dietary Manager and the Administrator confirmed that all male staff were expected to wear beard nets and that staff were required to wash hands between tasks or after touching contaminated items. Both acknowledged the potential for contamination if these protocols were not followed. Review of facility policies and the FDA Food Code supported the need for proper hand hygiene and hair restraint to prevent foodborne illness.