Personal hygiene | Good hygiene | Hand wash | HACCP

 PERSONAL HYGIENE |GOOD HYGIENE | FEMALE HYGIENE| HAND WASH | HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT – HACCP | HOW TO PERSONAL HYGIENE READY TO EAT FOOD

Hand wash

PERSONAL HYGIENE |GOOD HYGIENE | FEMALE HYGIENE| HAND WASH | HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT – HACCP | HOW TO PERSONAL HYGIENE READY TO EAT FOOD

Food handlers need to follow good personal hygiene practices to minimize the spread of harmful bacteria from spreading onto food.

Hand Washing

Food handlers shall always wash and, where necessary disinfect their hands, including the start of food handling activities, immediately after using the toilet and after handling the raw food or any contaminated material. Hands can easily spread bacteria and therefore hygiene is an important step to prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses. Hands shall be thoroughly washed and dried in between tasks, especially before touching ready-to-eat food and after touching raw food.

How to wash hands effectively:

Use designated hand-wash sinks. Food handlers shall wash their hands in the wash basin or designated sink provided. Other kitchen sinks can contaminate the hands with harmful bacteria from raw foods, waste, and cleaning chemicals. Food handlers need to have access to hand washing facilities at all times

Add soap and rub hands for 20 seconds. Hands shall be washed ‘thoroughly’ with warm water. This means that the food handler shall vigorously wash the entire surface of his or her hands including the under the surface of nails, using soap or other effective means.

Soap helps remove grease, dirt, and bacteria from the hands. Food handlers may use any soap to wash their hands. Antibacterial products are not required as ordinary regular soap is effective in performing these functions.

Rinse hands before drying. Hands are rinsed before drying to completely remove all the cleaning products.

Thoroughly dry hands. Food handlers are required to thoroughly dry their hands after hand washing. It is not sufficient for food handlers to give their hands a quick wipe with a towel. The provision of single-use towels is the most efficient and effective method of hand-drying.

When to wash hands:

Hands shall be washed whenever there is a possibility that they can directly contaminate food. The three most important times are explained below but others, such as: after handling money, using cleaning chemicals, emptying waste bins, etc., shall also be remembered.

When entering the kitchen (after going to the toilet or leaving the kitchen for a break):

Food handlers shall wash their hands before entering the kitchen. This includes at the start of the day and after breaks, smoking, eating, or using the toilet. Food handlers must understand that hands can become highly contaminated with bacteria during toilet activities and this can result in direct illness to the food handler and customers through food handling activities.

After handling raw meat/poultry and eggs:

Food handlers shall always wash their hands immediately after handling raw food during delivery, preparation or service. Most raw foods contain harmful bacteria from either the food itself (e.g. chicken) or the soil (e.g. fruits and vegetables). However, raw meat, poultry, and eggs are currently considered to pose the greatest risk and it is essential for food handlers to always wash their hands after handling these items.

Before handling ‘high risk’ ready-to-eat foods:

If harmful bacteria are transferred to foods that are not going to be heated again, such as hummus, salads, and sandwiches, they could multiply in the food and make it unsafe. It is essential to reduce this risk by washing hands thoroughly before preparing, wrapping, or serving such foods.

Protective Clothing

Food Handlers shall maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness, and shall wear suitable, clean, and protective clothing – apron, head covering (hair nets), gloves, masks, beard covers, and footwear, as deemed appropriate to their food activities.

Personal Behaviour

·         Food handlers shall refrain from behaviors that may result in contamination of food and hands.

·         Following practices shall be adhered to by the food handlers:

·         Do not smoke, drink, eat or chew gum or spit whilst handling food.

·         Avoid touching their face or nose, or coughing and sneezing. If a food handler undertakes any one of these activities while handling food the hands of the food handler will likely become contaminated. The food handler is therefore required to wash his or her hands immediately after completion of the activity, to remove this contamination.

·         Avoid unnecessary contact with surfaces likely to come into contact with food. For example, by handling clean glass by the bottom and not the inside edges and using a clean spoon to taste food.

·         Avoid wearing gloves (except oven gloves) and plastic aprons while cooking hot food.

·         Wash their hands in any other situation where it is necessary to protect the food from contamination. For example: after handling garbage or performing cleaning duties such as mopping.

·         Keep their nails short to prevent contamination. Nail polish shall not be used as this can hide the dirt under the nails.

·         Do not wear jewelry as this can trap dirt and become a source of contamination of harmful bacteria. Items include wedding and other rings, watches, face studs, and earrings.

·         Bright-colored waterproof coverings are required on exposed parts of the body to prevent any seepage from cuts or wounds that may contaminate the food either directly or indirectly if the food handler touches the dressing.

·         In addition, the food handler shall reduce direct hand contact with food.

·         Many harmful bacteria are found in the human body. A food handler may, therefore, unknowingly, easily contaminate food from contact with hands. This is especially important for high-risk ‘ready-to-eat’ foods that will not undergo any further heating. It is therefore important that contact with ready-to-eat food is kept to a minimum.

·         Practical measures the food handler shall take to prevent unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat food include:

·         Tongs or other utensils can be used to handle the food.

·         Gloves can be a barrier between the hands and food. However, they are only effective if changed between tasks.

·         Paper, food-grade plastics, and other materials can be used.

·         The use of hands in direct contact with ready-to-eat food may be necessary in some circumstances, for example, making cake decorations or other intricate foods. If direct hand contact is necessary, hands shall be thoroughly washed and dried before the food is handled.

·         Personal hygiene awareness training shall be provided to all food handlers. The personal hygiene condition of all food handlers shall be checked daily and records for the same shall be available for inspection.

HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT – HACCP

HACCP is a science-based Food Safety Management System.

Identifies specific hazards

Measures for their control to ensure the safety of food.

Consequently, HACCP is a tool for assessing hazards and for establishing control systems that focus on prevention, rather than on end-product testing.

Before application of HACCP, the food business premises shall have in place Pre-Requisite Programs

(PRPs) such as Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs). These PRPs to HACCP, including training, shall be well established, fully operational, and verified to facilitate the successful application and implementation of the HACCP system.