Chapter
The Safe Foodhandler
4-1
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
4-2
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
4-3
How Foodhandlers Contaminate Food
Behaviors That Can Contaminate Food
B
Scratching the scalp
Running fingers
through hair
Wiping or touching
the nose
Touching a pimple or
open sore
Wearing a dirty uniform
Coughing or sneezing into
the hand
Spitting in the establishment
Rubbing an ear
4-4
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
4-5
Hygienic Hand Practices: Handwashing
The whole process should take 20 seconds
2
Apply soap
Wet hands with running water
as hot as you can comfortably
stand (at least 100F/38C)
4
Rinse thoroughly under
running water
Vigorously scrub hands and
arms for ten to fifteen seconds.
Clean under fingernails and
between fingers
5
Dry hands and arms with a single-use
paper towel or warm-air hand dryer
4-6
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
4-7
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
4-8
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
4-9
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
4-10
Good Personal Hygiene Practices
Requirements for Foodhandlers
Keep fingernails
short and clean
Do not wear false
nails or nail polish
Bandage cuts and
cover bandages
4-11
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
4-12
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
4-13
Proper Work Attire
Foodhandlers should:
A
Wear a clean hat or other hair restraint
Wear clean clothing daily
Remove aprons when leaving
food-preparation areas
D
C
Remove jewelry from hands and arms
Wear appropriate, clean, and closedtoe shoes
4-14
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
4-15
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
4-16
Handling Employee Illnesses
IF:
The foodhandler has one or more of the following
symptoms of Vomiting, Diarrhea, Jaundice
THEN:
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
4-17
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 employees medical practitioner and/or the local
regulatory agency to determine when he or she can safely
return to work
4-18
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
4-19
4-2
Apply Your Knowledge: Exclusion or
Restriction?
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
4-19
4-20
Apply Your Knowledge: Whats Wrong with This Picture?
4-20
4-21