Federal inspectors documented the violation on June 5th at San Francisco Towers during a routine health inspection. The Corporate Chef witnessed the incident after inspectors pointed it out, then approached the worker to explain proper handling procedures.
The staff member acknowledged his error when confronted. "Yes," he said when the Corporate Chef explained he was not supposed to carry clean plates and eating utensils while hugging them against his skin or clothes.
But contamination problems extended beyond improper dish handling.
That same morning, inspectors observed a server enter the kitchen pushing a service cart loaded with a pitcher and utensils. The worker wore gloves as he stopped in front of the inspection team, opened a garbage bin lid with his gloved hands, and threw something away. He then closed the bin lid with the same contaminated gloves and prepared to continue pushing the cart containing food service equipment.
The Corporate Chef intervened, instructing the server to wash his hands and change gloves. The worker removed the contaminated gloves, threw them in the garbage, and walked to the sink.
After washing his hands, the server grabbed a paper towel and stopped to talk with another kitchen staff member. While conversing, he wiped his face with the paper towel, then inserted part of it inside his nose.
The Corporate Chef, directed by inspectors to observe the server's actions, approached again and instructed him to wash his hands a second time. "We will give them an in-service on handwashing," the Corporate Chef told inspectors.
The server responded: "Ok, I will remember that."
The contamination violations occurred despite detailed facility policies requiring proper food handling procedures. San Francisco Towers' policy manual, last revised in January 2024, explicitly states that "pots, dishes and flatware are stored in such a way as to prevent contamination by splash, dusts, pests, or other means."
Kitchen procedures require staff to "air dry all food contact surfaces including pots, dishes, flatware, and utensils before storage" and warn against stacking or storing items when wet.
Food storage problems compounded the handling violations.
On June 4th, inspectors found multiple undated food containers throughout the kitchen and storage areas. In the refrigerator, the Executive Sous Chef pulled out a large square plastic container filled with yellow-brownish jelly. After examining all sides, he identified it as apricot jelly but acknowledged there was no date marking.
"We will toss this out," the Executive Sous Chef said. The container's lid wouldn't close properly, opening on one side when closed on the other.
In the dry storage room, inspectors discovered an undated, half-full plastic container of light brown substance with tiny black spots. The Executive Sous Chef identified it as mustard but confirmed no open date appeared anywhere on the container. He removed it from the storage area during the inspection.
A walk-in refrigerator contained another undated container, nearly half full of tan, doughy material. The Executive Sous Chef called it "muffin butter" and admitted no open date existed. "I will take this out," he said.
The facility's food storage policy, issued in May 1995 and revised in January 2024, requires comprehensive dating and labeling procedures. The policy states that "all food, non-food items and supplies used in food preparation shall be stored in such a manner as to prevent contamination to maintain the safety and wholesomeness of the food for human consumption."
Specific procedures mandate that staff "cover, label and date unused portions and open packages" using facility orange labels or a prep and print labeling system. Foods past use-by, sell-by, best-by, or enjoy-by dates should be discarded immediately.
The policy requires first-in, first-out rotation and instructs staff to "discard food past the use-by or expiration date." For dry storage, foods must remain in original packages, and opened items must be transferred to NSF-approved containers with tight-fitting lids.
Refrigerated storage rules specify that "unused portions of canned fruits and vegetables must be transferred to clean, approved storage containers" and prohibit storage in open cans. Bulk materials require NSF-approved containers with labeled bins and lids.
The violations affected food safety for many residents at the Pine Street facility. Federal inspectors classified both deficiencies as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm, but noted the widespread impact on the resident population.
San Francisco Towers' kitchen staff received immediate correction during the inspection, with supervisors providing additional training on proper handwashing and food handling procedures. However, the systematic nature of the violations - from improper dish handling to undated food storage - suggested broader training gaps in basic food safety protocols.
The Corporate Chef's promise of in-service training on handwashing came after multiple contamination incidents occurred within minutes of each other, raising questions about the consistency of food safety oversight in the facility's kitchen operations.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for San Francisco Towers from 2024-06-07 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.