PM 1-10
Personal Hygiene and contamination
• Minimize the risk of food borne illness by:
◦ Establishing specific personal hygiene policies
◦ Training food handlers on those policies and retraining them regularly
◦ Modeling correct behavior for food handlers at all times
◦ Supervising food safety practices at all times
◦ Revising policies according to changes in law and food safety science
◦ Staff not only need the correct knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward
personal hygiene, but also to know how they can contaminate food if they
are not careful
• Food handlers can contaminate food if
◦ They have a food borne illness or symptoms of a food borne illness
◦ They have a wound
◦ Contact with sick persons
◦ Do not wash hands after touching contaminate
◦ Actions: touching hair, wipe and touching the nose, rub ears, touching
pimples, wearing dirty uniform, coughing in hand, spitting in the operation
Carriers
• Carry pathogens and infect others without getting sick themselves
◦ Staphylococcus aureus: can be carried in healthy adults without symptoms
◦ Food handlers transfer this bacteria to food
Diseases not transmitted through food
• HIV, aids, Hepatitis B and C, or Turberculosis
• Cannot fire an employee if they have one of these (via ADA)
Good personal hygiene program includes policies about
• Handwashing
◦ Most important part of personal hygiene
◦ Monitor to make sure this is done correctly
Where hands should be washed
• In a sink for hand washing only
• Don't wash in food prep areas
• Don't wash in utility services sink
• Don't wash hands in dish washing areas
When hands should be washed
• Must wash hands before they work
• After they use the restroom
• After handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood
• Touching the face, hair, and body
• After sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue
• Eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum, tobacco
• Handling chemicals that might affect food safety
• Taking out garbage
• Busing dishes
• Cleaning tables
• Handling money and credit cards
• Leaving and returning to the kitchen and prep area
about:bl 1