Improper Jewelry Use and Unsanitary Cutting Boards During Food Preparation
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in food service practices related to staff wearing jewelry during food preparation and service. On the morning of 3/4/26, one dietary staff member and one dietary trainee were observed preparing and serving food while wearing rings, and the trainee was also wearing bracelets on both wrists. Hand hygiene was performed while the jewelry remained in place. According to the FDA Food Code, items of jewelry such as rings, bracelets, and watches may collect soil, be difficult to clean, and act as reservoirs for pathogenic organisms transmissible through food. The Dietary Manager stated that jewelry should not be worn while preparing or serving food and that if jewelry was permanent, gloves should be worn to cover it. A second deficiency involved the condition and cleanliness of cutting boards used in the kitchen. On the afternoon of 3/5/26, surveyors observed that the plastic cutting boards in the kitchen had dark-colored stains within the grains of the plastic. The FDA Food Code states that cutting surfaces that become scratched and scored may be difficult to clean and sanitize, allowing pathogenic microorganisms transmissible through food to accumulate and be transferred to foods prepared on those surfaces. The Culinary Manager stated that cutting boards should be replaced when they are not able to get clean or have stains removed. These deficiencies had the potential to affect the 59 residents who consumed food prepared by the facility and placed them at risk for potential contamination of food and adverse health outcomes, including food-borne illnesses.
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