Federal inspectors observed the violations during dinner preparation at Terraces of Boise on December 18. The kitchen worker placed food containers directly on a cutting board and knife used for chopping mechanical diets at 5:15 PM. Two minutes later, he removed the containers and chopped vegetables and chicken without cleaning the contaminated surfaces.
The worker then placed a sauce container back on the knife lying on the cutting board, served sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and returned the container to the heating cart. He never sanitized the equipment.
At 5:20 PM, the worker placed a drinking straw on the same contaminated cutting board, filled a cup with liquid food, and inserted the straw before serving it to a resident.
Four minutes later, he placed the sauce container from the heating cart back on the flat surface of the cutting knife. He used the same unwashed knife to cut cooked noodles and chicken breast, then scooped the food onto a resident's plate with the knife's flat surface.
Inspectors observed no cleaning or sanitization of the cutting board and knife during the entire 27-minute dinner service that ended at 5:42 PM.
When confronted, the worker acknowledged the containers could have been placed elsewhere but said cross-contamination wasn't occurring since "everything was cleaned and sanitized prior to use." He admitted the cutting board and knife "could have been" cleaned between uses but said "it is not what he normally does."
The kitchen manager confirmed the next morning that containers should have been placed on countertops, not on cutting equipment, and that the board and knife should have been sanitized after holding the containers.
Inspectors also found dish drying racks covered in dust that hadn't been cleaned "in some time" as staff prioritized refrigerator racks instead.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Terraces of Boise, The from 2025-12-19 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.