Federal inspectors observed the violations on December 18 during the facility's dinner preparation. At 5:15 PM, a kitchen worker placed food containers directly on top of a cutting board and knife used for chopping mechanically soft diets.
Two minutes later, the worker removed the containers and began chopping vegetables and cooked chicken using the same cutting board and knife without cleaning or sanitizing either surface.
The contamination continued throughout the meal service. At 5:19 PM, the worker placed a sauce container back onto the cutting knife lying on the cutting board, then returned the container to the heating cart. At 5:20 PM, he placed a drinking straw on the same cutting board, filled a cup with liquid food, and served it to a resident using the contaminated straw.
The violations escalated when the worker again placed the sauce container on the flat surface of the cutting knife at 5:24 PM. He used the same unwashed knife to cut cooked noodles and chicken breast, then used the flat blade to scoop the food directly onto a resident's plate for serving.
Inspectors observed no cleaning or sanitization of the cutting board and knife during the entire 27-minute meal service that ended at 5:42 PM.
When questioned, the kitchen worker acknowledged the containers could have been placed elsewhere but said he didn't believe he was cross-contaminating surfaces 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 later confirmed the worker should have placed containers on the countertop and cleaned the cutting board and knife after they were contaminated.
The facility had also neglected to clean dish drying racks, which had developed a layer of dust.
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.