Federal inspectors observed the violations on December 18 during the 5 p.m. dinner preparation at the facility's dining area. The worker placed food containers on top of a cutting board and knife at 5:15 p.m., then removed them two minutes later to chop vegetables and cooked chicken without cleaning or sanitizing the equipment.
At 5:19 p.m., the same worker placed a sauce container back onto the cutting knife and cutting board to serve sauce over the chicken and vegetables. He returned the container to the heating cart without cleaning the surfaces.
One minute later, the worker placed a drinking straw on the same contaminated cutting board, filled a cup with liquid food, and served it to a resident using the straw that had contacted the unsanitized surface.
The contamination continued at 5:24 p.m. when the worker again placed the sauce container on the flat surface of the cutting knife, then used the same knife to cut cooked noodles and chicken breast. He scooped the cut food directly onto a resident's plate using the flat surface of the knife and served the meal.
Inspectors observed no cleaning or sanitizing of the cutting board and knife until dinner service ended at 5:42 p.m.
When questioned, the worker said containers "could have been placed elsewhere on the countertop" but claimed he wasn't cross-contaminating because "everything was cleaned and sanitized prior to use." He acknowledged 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 day that containers should have been placed on the countertop, not on food preparation equipment, and that the cutting board and knife should have been cleaned and sanitized after holding the containers.
Inspectors also found dish drying racks covered with dust that hadn't been cleaned "in some time."
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.