CHICO, CA - Federal inspectors documented serious food safety violations at Chico Terrace Care Center during a March 2025 inspection, finding dietary staff failed to follow basic hygiene protocols that protect residents from foodborne illness and infection.
Improper Glove Use During Meal Preparation
The most significant violations involved dietary staff failing to follow proper glove protocols during food preparation and meal service. Inspectors observed multiple instances where staff contaminated their gloves and continued food handling without changing them.
On March 4, 2025, inspectors documented a dietary aide loading lunch meal trays while wearing gloves, then scratching her face with the gloved hands and continuing to place items on resident meal trays without washing hands or changing gloves. This direct violation of food safety protocols created a pathway for bacteria and pathogens to transfer from the staff member's skin to resident food.
During a second observation on March 6, 2025, inspectors found another dietary aide preparing desserts without wearing gloves at all. The staff member touched both the tops and bottoms of dessert bowls while placing them on trays, scratched her nose with an ungloved hand, then continued scooping gelatin into dessert cups without washing hands. When questioned, the aide stated she was "not sure if she should wear gloves when she prepared the dessert cups."
Medical Consequences of Food Safety Violations
These violations create significant health risks for nursing home residents, who are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illnesses due to compromised immune systems and underlying health conditions. When dietary staff fail to change contaminated gloves or work without gloves entirely, they can transfer harmful bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Salmonella to resident food.
Foodborne illnesses in elderly populations can lead to severe complications including dehydration, hospitalization, and in extreme cases, death. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that adults over 65 are four times more likely to be hospitalized from foodborne illness compared to younger adults.
Contaminated Clothing and Equipment
Inspectors also found violations involving protective aprons and equipment contamination. One dietary aide was observed working without an apron while stretching over soiled counters to clean surfaces. When she sprayed water to rinse the counter and back splash, she admitted being sprayed with overspray, potentially contaminating her clothing. She then returned to meal preparation wearing the contaminated clothing without an apron.
Another aide wore the same black apron while cleaning equipment and during food production, failing to change the apron between cleaning tasks and food preparation activities.
Required Food Safety Standards
Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain strict food safety protocols to prevent contamination and protect resident health. According to the facility's own infection control policy dated June 4, 2024, proper hand washing should occur after touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and arms, and during food preparation as often as necessary to prevent cross contamination when changing tasks.
The policy also requires staff to wear clean aprons and change them as often as needed to maintain sanitary conditions. These protocols are designed to create barriers between potential sources of contamination and resident food.
Industry Standards for Food Preparation
Professional food service operations follow the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system to identify and control potential contamination risks. Key principles include washing hands before and after glove use, changing gloves when they become contaminated, and maintaining clean protective clothing throughout food preparation.
Gloves should be changed immediately after touching any non-food surface, including face, hair, or contaminated equipment. Staff should never touch their face, nose, or other body parts while wearing gloves intended for food contact.
Training and Supervision Concerns
The dietary aide's uncertainty about glove requirements during dessert preparation indicates inadequate training or supervision in basic food safety protocols. Nursing homes are required to ensure all food service staff understand and follow proper hygiene procedures to protect resident health.
Effective food safety programs include regular training updates, direct supervision during food preparation, and clear protocols for handling contaminated gloves and protective equipment. Staff should receive initial training upon hire and periodic refresher training to maintain current knowledge of safety requirements.
Facility Response Requirements
Chico Terrace Care Center must develop and implement a comprehensive plan of correction addressing these food safety violations. The facility must demonstrate improved staff training, enhanced supervision during food preparation, and consistent enforcement of glove and protective equipment policies.
The plan should include specific measures to ensure dietary staff understand when to change gloves, proper hand washing procedures, and appropriate use of protective aprons during different food service tasks. Regular monitoring and documentation of compliance will be essential to prevent future violations.
Federal and state surveyors will conduct follow-up inspections to verify the facility has corrected these deficiencies and established sustainable food safety practices that protect resident health.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Chico Terrace Care Center from 2025-03-06 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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