Safety & Sanitation

Personal Hygiene  Should include policies that address: 1. Avoiding personal behaviors that can contaminate food 2. Washing & caring for hands 3. Dressing appropriately 4. Limiting where you eat, drink, smoke, & chew gum or tobacco 5. Preventing employees who may be carrying pathogens from working with or around food, or from working in the operation. To keep food safe, you must follow safety and Sanitation procedures.

Situations That Can Lead to Contaminating Food:  Having a food borne illness.  Having wounds that contain a pathogen.  Having contact with a person who is ill.  Touching anything that may contaminate their hands and then don’t wash them.  Having symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or jaundice.

 With some illnesses, a person may infect others before showing any symptoms OR after all symptoms are gone.  EX: A person could spread hepatitis A for weeks before having any symptoms.  EX: A person my infect others days or months after symptoms are gone.

 Some people carry pathogens and infect others without ever getting sick themselves.  Carriers  EX: Staphylococcus aureus - carried in the nose of 30-50% of healthy adults.  20-35% carry it on their skin.

Actions that Can Contaminate Food: 1. Scratching the scalp 2. Running Fingers through the hair 3. Wiping or touching the nose 4. Rubbing an Ear 5. Touching a pimple or an infected wound 6. Wearing a dirty uniform/clothing 7. Coughing or Sneezing into the hand 8. Spitting

Hand washing  Step 1: Get paper towel ready  Step 2: Turn on Hot Water – as hot as you can stand it. (at least 100° F)  Step 3: Apply Soap – Enough to build a good lather  Step 4: Scrub vigorously – at least 15 seconds.  Sing “Happy Birthday” twice!  Clean under fingernails between fingers, wrists, arms  Step 5: Rinse with hands down  Step6: Dry Hands completely  Step 7: Use towel to turn off water

When to Wash Hands:  Using the restroom  Handling raw meat, poultry,  & seafood  Touching the hair, face, or body  Sneezing, drinking, smoking, or  chewing gum or tobacco  Handling chemicals that might  affect food safety  Taking out the garbage  Clearing tables or dirty dishes  Touching clothing or aprons  Handling money  Touching anything else that may contaminate hands – dirty equipment, work surfaces, towels, etc.

Hand Antiseptics  Only use hand antiseptics AFTER hand washing. NEVER use them in place of it.  Wait for hand antiseptic to dry before you touch food or equipment.

Hand Care  In addition to washing, hands need other care to prevent spreading pathogens.  Fingernail Length – Short & Clean  False Nails – Hard to keep clean, can  break off into food, wear gloves  Nail Polish – can disguise dirt, may flake into food  Hand wounds – wear bandage & gloves, band- aid may fall into food, glove prevents Staph from contaminating food & causing illness.

When Should I change out my gloves?  As soon as they become soiled or torn.  Before beginning a different task.  At least every 4 hours during continual use, and more often if necessary.  After handling raw meat, seafood, or poultry & before handling ready-to-eat food.

Work/Lab Attire:  Hair Restraints – hair should be pulled back by hat or hair restraint  Clean Clothing – may carry pathogens that can cause food borne illness.  Aprons – remove aprons when leaving prep areas.  Jewelry – remove jewelry from hands and arms before preparing food or when working around prep areas. (rings, bracelets, watches, dangly jewelry)

Policies for Eating, Drinking, Smoking & Chewing Gum or tobacco  Small droplets of saliva can contain thousands of pathogens.  Do NOT eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum or tobacco at any of these times:  Prepping or serving food  When working in Prep areas  When working in areas used  to clean utensils & equipment.

 Only eat, drink, smoke & chew gum in designated areas.  Some places allow covered container with a straw.

How to Handle Food handler Illnesses: If:Then: The food handler has a sore throat & Fever Restrict the food handler from working with or around food The food handler has at least one of these symptoms: Vomiting Diarrhea Jaundice Exclude food handler from operation until no symptoms exist for at least 24 hrs. The food handler has been diagnosed with a food borne illness cause by one of these pathogens: Salmonella Shigella E-Coli Hepatitis A Norovirus Exclude the food handler from the operation. Notify the local regulatory authority.