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Chapter 4

The Safe Foodhandler

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Learning Objectives

At the end of the chapter the participants must be able to identify: Personal behaviours that can contaminate food Proper handwashing procedures When hands should be washed Appropriate hand antiseptics and when to use them Hand maintenance requirements Proper procedures for covering cuts, wounds, sores Procedures to follow when using gloves Jewelry that poses a hazard to food safety Requirements for employees work attire Regulatory exceptions for allowing bare-hand

contact with ready-to-eat food and cooked food

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How Foodhandlers Contaminate Food

Foodhandlers can contaminate food when they:

Have a foodborne illness

Show symptoms of gastrointestinal illness

Have infected wounds or cuts

Live with, or are exposed to, a person who is ill

Touch anything that may contaminate their hands

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How Foodhandlers Contaminate Food

Behaviors That Can Contaminate Food

Scratching the scalp

Running fingersthrough hair

Wiping or touching the nose

Rubbing an ear

A

B

C

D

Touching a pimple or open sore

Wearing a dirty uniform

Coughing or sneezing into the hand

Spitting in the establishment

E

F

G

H

AB

CD

E

F

G

H

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Components of a Good Personal Hygiene Program

Good personal hygiene includes: Maintaining personal cleanliness

Wearing proper work attire

Following hygienic hand practices

Avoiding unsanitary habits and actions

Maintaining good health

Reporting illnesses

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The whole process should take 20 seconds

Wet hands with running water as hot as you can comfortably

stand (at least 100°F/38°C)

Apply soap Vigorously scrub hands and arms for ten to fifteen seconds.

Clean under fingernails and between fingers

Rinse thoroughly under running water

Dry hands and arms with a single-use paper towel or warm-air hand dryer

Hygienic Hand Practices: Handwashing

1 2 3

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Hygienic Hand Practices: Hand Antiseptics

Hand Antiseptics Must comply with Food and Drug Administration

standards

Should be used after handwashing (if used in the establishment)

Must never be used in place of handwashing

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Hygienic Hand Practices: When to Wash Hands

Foodhandlers must wash their hands after:

Using the restroom

Handling raw meat, poultry, and fish (before and after)

Touching the hair, face, or body

Sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue

Smoking, eating, drinking, or chewing gum or tobacco

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Hygienic Hand Practices: When to Wash Hands

Foodhandlers must wash their hands after: continued

Handling chemicals that might affect food safety

Taking out garbage

Clearing tables or bussing dirty dishes

Touching clothing or aprons

Touching anything else that may contaminate hands, such as unsanitized equipment, work surfaces, or washcloths

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Hygienic Hand Practices: Bare-Hand Contact

Bare-Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Food

Some jurisdictions allow it but require written policies and procedures on:

Employee health

Handwashing

Other hygienic practices

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Good Personal Hygiene Practices

Requirements for Foodhandlers

Keep fingernails short and clean

Do not wear falsenails or nail polish

Bandage cuts and cover bandages

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Hygienic Hand Practices: Gloves

Gloves used for handling food:

Must never be used in place of handwashing

Are for single use only

Should be right for the task

Must be safe, durable, and clean

Must fit properly

Must be used properly

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Hygienic Hand Practices: Gloves

When to Change Gloves

As soon as they become soiled or torn

Before beginning a different task

At least every four hours during continual use and more often when necessary

After handling raw meat and before handling cooked or ready-to-eat food

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Wear a clean hat or other hair restraint

Wear clean clothing daily

Remove aprons when leaving food-preparation areas

Remove jewelry from hands and arms

Wear appropriate, clean, and closed-toe shoes

Proper Work Attire

Foodhandlers should:

A

B

C

D

E

A

B

C

D

E

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Policies Regarding Eating, Drinking, and Smoking

Foodhandlers must not:

Smoke, chew gum or tobacco, eat or drink

When

Preparing or serving food

Working in food-preparation areas

Working in areas used to clean utensils and equipment

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Handling Employee Illnesses

IF: The foodhandler has a sore throat with fever

THEN: Restrict the employee from working with or around

food

Exclude the employee from the establishment if you primarily serve a high-risk population

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Handling Employee Illnesses

IF: The foodhandler has one or more of the following

symptoms of Vomiting, Diarrhea, JaundiceTHEN:

Exclude the employee from the establishment Do not allow employees with vomiting or diarrhea

to return to work unless they: Have been symptom-free for 24 hours or Have a written release from a medical

practitioner Do not allow employees with jaundice to return to

work unless they have been released by a medical practitioner

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Handling Employee Illnesses

IF: The foodhandler has been diagnosed with a foodborne illness

caused by: Salmonella Typhi Shigella spp. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli Hepatitis A virus Norovirus

THEN: Exclude the employee from the establishment and notify the

local regulatory agency Work with the employee’s medical practitioner and/or the local

regulatory agency to determine when he or she can safely return to work

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Apply Your Knowledge: Test Your Food Safety Knowledge

1. True or False: During handwashing, foodhandlers must vigorously scrub their hands and arms for five seconds

2. True or False: Gloves should be changed before beginning a different task

3. True or False: Foodhandlers must wash their hands after smoking

4. True or False: A foodhandler diagnosed with shigellosis cannot continue to work at an establishment while he or she has the illness

5. True or False: Hand antiseptics should only be used before handwashing

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Should you: Exclude the foodhandler from the establishment

Restrict the foodhandler from working with or around food

Bill, a line cook at a family restaurant has a sore throat with a fever

Joe, a prep cook, has diarrhea

Mary, a sous chef, has been diagnosed with hepatitis A

Apply Your Knowledge: Exclusion or Restriction?

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Apply Your Knowledge: What’s Wrong with This Picture?

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