Personal hygiene

Personal hygiene

The word hygiene means using sanitary principles to maintain health. Personal hygiene refers to all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the cleanliness of a person’s cloth and body.

Food workers need to be healthy and clean to prepare safe food. The food handler should keep his hands, arms and exposed part very clean. They should wash their hands after touching bare human body and after using the toilet room. Hand, breath, hair, sweat, coughs & sneezes all carry microorganisms. Even food handlers does not feel sick, he or she could still be carrying the microorganisms that can causes illness if they get into the food.

All food handlers should remember the following:

·        Personal cleanliness is essential for those responsible for food storage, preparation, cooking &service.

·        Food should be handled by hand where there is no alternatives.

·        Smocking, spitting, chewing, sneezing over unprotected food is strictly is not allowed.

·         Eating & drinking while working cans spread germs from the person’s mouth to hands.

·        Hand should be clean at all times with short nails & no nail paints.

·        Jewellery, watches, pins or other items should not be worn or brought into food handling area.

Personnel should always wash their hands when personal cleanliness may affect food safety, for example:

·        At the start of food handling activities

·        Immediately after using the toilet,&

·        After handling raw food or any contaminated material, where this could result in contamination of other food items, they should avoid ready- to- eat food.

To understand why employee need good personal hygiene it is vital to consider the following sources of microbial contamination.

Skin

The skin constantly deposits sweat, oil & dead cells on the outer surface. When this material mixed with dust, dirt, & grease, they form an ideal medium for bacteria to grow. Food handlers rub or scratch the skin & transfer bacteria when they again touch food without washing their hand. Poor skin care & skin disorders can also causes bacterial infections like boils.Straphylococci or other microorganisms are responsible for skin infection.

Hands

Bacteria may be picked up by the hands when they touch dirty equipment, contaminated food, clothings or part of the body. Food handlers should wash hand frequently & use a hand dip sanitizer after touching these things so that they do not contaminate food.

Food handlers must wash their hands regularly & especially:

·        Before starting work

·        On returning to work after each break

·        After going to the toilet

·        On entering the food processing & preparation area

·        In between handling of raw & cooked food

·        After combing or touching the hair

·        After eating ,smoking, coughing or blowing the nose

·        After handling waste food & refuse

·        After handling cleaning chemicals,&

·        After contact with pests or contaminated food.

How should food handlers wash their hands?

• Use the hand washing facilities provided by the business.
• Clean their hands thoroughly using soap or other effective means.
• Use warm running water.
• Dry their hands thoroughly on a single use towel or in another way that is not likely to transfer disease-causing organisms onto the hands.

Finger nails

One of the easiest ways to spread bacteria is through dirt under the finger nails. Food handlers should never handle food if their finger nails are dirty. Food handlers should not have long finger nails or artificial finger nails, while working.

Jewellery

Food handlers should not wear jewellery in food processing or food service area. It can fall in the food and can contaminate the food, further it can catch in the machinery, causing a physical & safety hazard.

Hair

Hair is constantly falling out along with dandruff, can causes contamination in food. Scalp carries microorganism like Staphylococci. Food handlers should wear a hairnet or suitable head covering i.e cap or a scarf which completely encloses the hair. Workers should always wash their hands whenever they scratch their heads.

Eyes

Normally, eyes do not carry bacteria but whenever there is any infection its tendency to rub the eyes and then only there is a possibility of contamination.

Mouth

Mouth carries many bacteria. Food handlers while working should not eat, chew gum, tobacco, pan mashala ,gutka etc. or blow into glass to polished them. Tasting food with licking finger or an unwashed food is a bad practice.

Smoking is also not allowed in food services establishments. It can causes transition of bacteria from mouth to the food. Smoking leaves an irritating smell in food, spitting also is not allowed in food services areas.

Nose, Throat

Employees who have infection in nose will be suffering from nasal discharges; they should be careful while handling the food, have to wash & disinfected their hands after blowing their nose. Picking &scratching nose is not acceptable.

Sore throat is usually caused by microorganisms. The diseases spread if employees’ personal is poor.

Personal habits

Faulty personal food habits of the food handlers have an adverse effect on the quality& safety of food. . Food handlers should not have bad hygiene practices like nail bite, keeping the fingers in ears or nose etc.

Food handlers should wear protective light colored cotton clothes with proper white caps &suitable foot wares to prevent slipping &to protect the feet.

(a) Inside food preparation areas, food handlers should refrain from performing the following behaviours which may result in contamination of food:

(i) smoking or using tobacco;
(ii) spitting;

·         (iii) chewing, eating, sneezing or coughing over unprotected food or food contact surfaces;
(iv) touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands;
(v) sitting, lying or standing on any surface liable to come into contact with food;
(vi) tasting food with fingers; and
(vii) touching hair or other parts of bodies such as noses, eyes or ears.

(b) When sneezing or coughing inside food preparation area is unavoidable, food handlers should turn away from food and cover their noses and mouths with tissue paper or handkerchieves. Hands should then be thoroughly cleaned at once

Awareness and Responsibilities

·               All personnel involved in food businesses should be aware of their role and responsibility in protecting food from contamination or deterioration. They should:

·         (a) put the health and safety of customers first and regard this as a social responsibility;
(b) familiarize with the standards and requirements stipulated in the law and those promulgated by the Government, and strict observance is necessary to foster a strong sense of hygiene;
(c) study and adopt the best hygiene practices in food handling;
(d) exercise constant care and vigilance in supervising the preparation, production, handling and serving of food; and
(e) constantly improve the hygiene standards of their food premises.

Supervision

·               Food business should always be supervised by a person who has attended a recognized food hygiene course. He should keep his certificate or other relevant documentary proof at the food premises and be readily available for inspection on demand.

What must a food handler do if she or he is sick?

If a food handler has a food-borne illness

Food handlers must tell their work supervisor if they have any of the following symptoms while they are at work - vomiting, diarrhoea, a fever or a sore throat with a fever. The only exception to this is if the food handler knows that he/she has these symptoms for a different reason. For example, a food handler may be vomiting at work because of pregnancy.

Food handlers must also tell their supervisor if they have been diagnosed as having or carrying a food-borne illness.

As well as reporting the food-borne illness, the food handler must not handle any food where there is a chance they might make the food unsafe or unsuitable because of their illness. Also, if a food handler stays on at work to do other work, he or she must do everything reasonable to make sure that they do not contaminate any food.

Note: Illnesses that can be passed on through food include Hepatitis A and those caused by giardia, salmonella and campylobacter.

If a food handler has skin injuries or sores or is otherwise unwell

Food handlers must tell their supervisor about any infections or conditions like a cold or other problem that may result in discharges from their ears or nose or eyes if there is any chance that they might make food unsafe or unsuitable for people to eat as a result of their condition.

Also, if they continue to handle food with such a condition, food handlers must do whatever is reasonable to make sure that they don’t contaminate any food. For example, an infected sore could be completely covered by a bandage and clothing or by a waterproof covering if on an area of bare skin, and medication can be used to dry up discharges.

If a food handler knows or suspects he or she might have contaminated some food

Food handlers must tell their supervisor if they know or think they may have made any food unsafe or unsuitable to eat. For example, jewellery worn by a food handler may have fallen into food.

What are the rules for hygiene in the kitchen?

1.Wash your hands
2.Tie your hair back
3.Wear an apron to protect your clothes
4. If you put a spoon in food and lick it then don't put it back in
5. wash vegetables before cooking it.
6.use the different colour broad to prevent food poisoning
7. use clean surfaces
8. don't sneeze in the food
9. don't keep meat so long out of the freezer
10. keep your equipment clean

there are 2 kinds of hygiene rules

PERSONAL HYGIENE
1.wash hands with warm soapy water
2.tie hair back
3.dont wear make up or nail polish
4.always remove watches,jewellery etc. before cooking
5.if wearing shirt button up cufflings
6.dont wear open shoes
7.wear an apron to protect your clothes
8.if you have a cut put on blue plaster (no foods are blue)
KITCHEN HYGIENE
1.make sure surfaces are all wiped down
2.all your utensils are clean and dry
3.your sinks are nice and clean
4.bins not over flowing
5.floor is'nt wet
6.cookers are clean
7.dont use out of date food
8.dont chop raw meat and other food on same chopping board
9.always wash food before cooking