© Copyright 2011 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and published by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 2

Keeping Food Safe

How Foodhandlers Can Contaminate Food

Foodhandlers can contaminate food in a variety of situations.

Foodhandlers are not just the people who prepare food. Servers and even dishwashers are considered foodhandlers.

To prevent foodhandlers from contaminating food, managers must create personal hygiene policies. These policies must address personal cleanliness, clothing, hand care, and health.

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Good personal hygiene is a key factor in the prevention of foodborne illnesses. Successful managers make personal hygiene a priority.

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Personal Cleanlinessand Work Attire

All foodhandlers must bathe or shower before work and keep their hair clean.

Dirty clothing may carry pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses.

To avoid spreading foodborne illnesses, foodhandlers should: Always cover their hair. Remove aprons and store them in the right place when leaving prep

areas. Wear clean clothing every day. Remove jewelry from hands and arms before preparing food or when

working around prep areas.

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Personal cleanliness is an important part of personal hygiene. Pathogens can be found on hair and skin that aren’t kept clean.

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Handwashing

Foodhandlers must also wash their hands after: Using the restroom Handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood Touching the hair, face, or body Sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue Eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum or tobacco Handling chemicals that might affect food safety Taking out garbage Clearing tables or busing dirty dishes Touching clothing or aprons Handling money Touching anything else that may contaminate hands

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Handwashing is the most important part of personal hygiene. Foodhandlers must wash their hands before they start work.

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Foodhandlers must wash their hands after:

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Using the restroom

Handling raw food (before and after)

Touching the hair, face, or body

Sneezing, coughing, or using a handkerchief or tissue

Smoking, eating, drinking, chewing gum or tobacco

Foodhandlers must wash their hands after: continued

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Handling chemicals that might affect the safety of food

Taking out garbage or trash

Clearing tables or busing dirty dishes

Touching clothing or aprons

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

Bare-Hand Contact/Illness Work Requirements

Using bare hands to handle ready-to-eat food can increase the risk of contaminating it. Gloves, tongs, and deli tissue can help keep food safe by creating a barrier between hands and food.

Restaurant and foodservice operations have a responsibility to ensure that their employees do not spread foodborne illnesses.

Foodhandlers who are sick can spread pathogens to food. Depending on the illness, they might not be able to work with food until they recover.

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Section 2.2 Summary

Various personal behaviors of foodhandlers can contaminate food. Handwashing is the most important part of personal hygiene. It must

be done at the right times in the right way. Personal cleanliness practices include bathing or showering before

work, keeping hair clean, wearing clean clothes, removing jewelry from hands and arms, and keeping nails clean.

Proper work attire includes always covering hair, wearing clean clothes, removing aprons and storing them in the right place after leaving the prep area, and removing jewelry from hands and arms.

Using bare hands to handle ready-to-eat food can increase the risk of contaminating it.

Employees should not work with or around food when they have a sore throat with a fever.

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Personal Behaviors That Can Contaminate Food

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Scratching the scalp

Running fingers through hair

Touching the nose

Rubbing an ear

Touching a pimple/sore

Wearing a dirty uniform

Coughing/sneezing into the hand

Spitting

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Good personal hygiene includes:

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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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Proper Handwashing Procedure

Wet hands with running water as hot as you can comfortably stand (at least 100°F/38°C).

1 Apply soap.2 Vigorously scrub hands and arms for at least twenty seconds.

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Clean under fingernailsand between fingers.

4 Rinse thoroughly under running water.

5 6 Dry hands and arms with a single-use paper towel or warm-air hand dryer.

Hand Sanitizers

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Must be approved by the FDA

Should be used after handwashing

Must never be used in place of handwashing

Bare-Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Food

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Some jurisdictions allow it

Establishments must have a verifiable writtenpolicy on handwashing procedures

Check with your regulatory agency for requirements

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Hand Maintenance Requirements for Foodhandlers

Keep fingernails short and clean

Do not wear false nails or nail polish

Bandage cuts and

cover bandages

Gloves

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Must never replace 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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When to Change GlovesWhen they become soiled or torn

Before beginning a different task

At least every four hours during continual use

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

Foodhandlers should:

Remove jewelry

Wear clean, closed-toe shoes

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Wear a clean hat or other hair restraint

Wear clean clothing daily

Remove aprons when leaving food-preparation areas

A

B

D

C

E

E

D

C

B

A

Foodhandlers must remove:

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Rings (except for a plain band)

Bracelets (including medical ID’s)

Watches

Earrings

Necklaces

Facial jewelry

Foodhandlers must not:Smoke, chew gum or tobacco, eat, or drink

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When:Preparing or serving food

In food-preparation areas

In areas used to clean utensils and equipment

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The foodhandler has one of the following symptoms:

Restrict them from working with or around food

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

IF THEN

Fever

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Sore throat with fever

Jaundice

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The foodhandler has been diagnosed with a foodborne illness.

Exclude them from the establishment and notify the local regulatory agency

Work with the regulatory agency to determine when they can return

IF THEN

Employee illnesses resulting from the following pathogens must be reported:

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Salmonella typhi

Shigella spp.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli

Hepatitis A virus

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

2. Joe, a hospital prep cook, has diarrhea.

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

Restricted fromworking withor around food

ORExcluded from the establishment

Should the foodhandler in the following scenarios be:

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