Patrons of restaurants and other food provider services expect that food handlers are properly trained and practice safe food handling procedures at all times. A commonly overlooked, yet important part of safe food handling is personal hygiene. Being clean, healthy and having good personal hygiene habits is important for food handlers.
A food handler can easily contaminate foods with germs such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. Germs that you pick up on your hands are easily spread to the food that you are preparing and serving to others.
Food handlers need to wash their hands often and wash each time for at least 15 seconds. Hands should be washed thoroughly:
Follow the steps in the diagram below to be sure you are washing your hands thoroughly.
Hand sanitizer gel (minimum 60% alcohol) can be used to clean your hands if they do not look dirty and if soap and water are not available. When disinfecting with hand sanitizer pay special attention to the areas of the hands most often missed, like nail beds and between fingers.
Follow the steps below to properly disinfect your hands with sanitizer gel.
To get your free handwashing decal and/or tip sheet for yourself or your staff, call Your Health Connection to speak with a public health inspector, Monday to Friday at 721-7520 (1 877 721-7520).
