Chapter 4

The Safe Foodhandler

4-1
Learning Objectives

At the end of the chapter the participants must

be able to identify:
 Personal behaviours that can contaminate food
 Proper handwashing procedures
 When hands should be washed
 Appropriate hand antiseptics and when to use them
 Hand maintenance requirements
 Proper procedures for covering cuts, wounds,
sores
 Procedures to follow when using gloves
 Jewelry that poses a hazard to food safety
 Requirements for employees work attire
 Regulatory exceptions for allowing bare-hand
contact with ready-to-eat food and cooked food
4-2
How Foodhandlers Contaminate Food

Foodhandlers can contaminate food when they:

 Have a foodborne illness
 Show symptoms of gastrointestinal illness
 Have infected wounds or cuts
 Live with, or are exposed to, a person who is ill
 Touch anything that may contaminate their hands

4-3
How Foodhandlers Contaminate Food

Behaviors That Can Contaminate Food

A
B
A Scratching the scalp C E Touching a pimple or
D
open sore
B Running fingers E

through hair F Wearing a dirty uniform

C Wiping or touching G Coughing or sneezing into
the nose the hand
F
D Rubbing an ear H Spitting in the establishment

4-4
Components of a Good Personal Hygiene Program

Good personal hygiene includes:

 Maintaining personal cleanliness
 Wearing proper work attire
 Following hygienic hand practices
 Avoiding unsanitary habits and actions
 Maintaining good health
 Reporting illnesses

4-5
 Hygienic Hand Practices: Handwashing
The whole process should take 20 seconds
1 2 3

Wet hands with running water Apply soap Vigorously scrub hands and
as hot as you can comfortably arms for ten to fifteen seconds.
stand (at least 100 F/38 C) Clean under fingernails and
between fingers

4 5

Rinse thoroughly under Dry hands and arms with a single-use

running water paper towel or warm-air hand dryer
4-6
Hygienic Hand Practices: Hand Antiseptics

Hand Antiseptics
 Must comply with Food and Drug Administration
standards
 Should be used after handwashing (if used in the
establishment)
 Must never be used in place of handwashing

4-7
Hygienic Hand Practices: When to Wash Hands

Foodhandlers must wash their hands after:

 Using the restroom
 Handling raw meat, poultry, and fish (before and
after)
 Touching the hair, face, or body
 Sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue
 Smoking, eating, drinking, or chewing gum or
tobacco

4-8
Hygienic Hand Practices: When to Wash Hands

Foodhandlers must wash their hands after:

continued
 Handling chemicals that might affect food safety
 Taking out garbage
 Clearing tables or bussing dirty dishes
 Touching clothing or aprons
 Touching anything else that may contaminate
hands, such as unsanitized equipment, work
surfaces, or washcloths

4-9
Hygienic Hand Practices: Bare-Hand Contact

Bare-Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Food

Some jurisdictions allow it but require written policies
and procedures on:
 Employee health
 Handwashing
 Other hygienic practices

4-10
Good Personal Hygiene Practices

Requirements for Foodhandlers

Keep fingernails Do not wear false Bandage cuts and

short and clean nails or nail polish cover bandages

4-11
Hygienic Hand Practices: Gloves

Gloves used for handling food:

 Must never be used in place of handwashing
 Are for single use only
 Should be right for the task
 Must be safe, durable, and clean
 Must fit properly
 Must be used properly

4-12
Hygienic Hand Practices: Gloves

When to Change Gloves

 As soon as they become soiled or torn
 Before beginning a different task
 At least every four hours during continual use and
more often when necessary
 After handling raw meat and before handling
cooked or ready-to-eat food

4-13
Proper Work Attire

Foodhandlers should: A

A Wear a clean hat or other hair restraint B

B Wear clean clothing daily

C Remove aprons when leaving D

food-preparation areas
C
D Remove jewelry from hands and arms

E Wear appropriate, clean, and closed-

toe shoes

4-14
Policies Regarding Eating, Drinking, and Smoking

Foodhandlers must not:

 Smoke, chew gum or tobacco, eat or drink

When
 Preparing or serving food
 Working in food-preparation areas
 Working in areas used to clean utensils and
equipment

4-15
Handling Employee Illnesses

IF:
 The foodhandler has a sore throat with fever

THEN:
 Restrict the employee from working with or around
food
 Exclude the employee from the establishment if
you primarily serve a high-risk population

4-16
Handling Employee Illnesses
IF:
 The foodhandler has one or more of the following
symptoms of Vomiting, Diarrhea, Jaundice
THEN:
 Exclude the employee from the establishment
 Do not allow employees with vomiting or diarrhea
to return to work unless they:
 Have been symptom-free for 24 hours or
 Have a written release from a medical
practitioner
 Do not allow employees with jaundice to return to
work unless they have been released by a medical
practitioner

4-17
Handling Employee Illnesses
IF:
 The foodhandler has been diagnosed with a foodborne illness
caused by:
 Salmonella Typhi
 Shigella spp.
 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
 Hepatitis A virus
 Norovirus

THEN:
 Exclude the employee from the establishment and notify the
local regulatory agency
 Work with the employee’s medical practitioner and/or the local
regulatory agency to determine when he or she can safely
return to work

4-18
Apply Your Knowledge: Test Your Food Safety Knowledge

1. True or False: During handwashing, foodhandlers must

vigorously scrub their hands and arms for five seconds
2. True or False: Gloves should be changed before
beginning a different task

3. True or False: Foodhandlers must wash their hands

after smoking

4. True or False: A foodhandler diagnosed with shigellosis

cannot continue to work at an establishment while he or
she has the illness

5. True or False: Hand antiseptics should only be used

before handwashing

4-19
4-2
Apply Your Knowledge: Exclusion or Restriction?

Should you:
 Exclude the foodhandler from the establishment
 Restrict the foodhandler from working with or around
food

1. Bill, a line cook at a family restaurant has a sore

throat with a fever
2. Joe, a prep cook, has diarrhea
3. Mary, a sous chef, has been diagnosed with hepatitis
A

4-19
4-20
Apply Your Knowledge: What’s Wrong with This Picture?

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