Personal Hygiene & Cleaning
A Food Safety For Food Workers Information Source
June 1998
The intention of food safety is to prevent food poisoning, (the transmission of disease through food) and to maintain the wholesomeness of the food product through all stages of processing, until it is finally eaten.
In the private home where food is prepared for a small number of people the results of
food contamination are restricted.
However, food contaminated in a restaurant kitchen for example, can result in a large
number of people being affected.
The presence of food spoilage bacteria, taints or foreign material, may not
cause food poisoning, but can still result in considerable loss if the product cannot be
used.
This booklet provides basic guidelines on personal hygiene and good cleaning practices to help you, the foodworker, produce a cleaner safer product.
FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION
A good knowledge of safe food handling practices is essential for all those involved in
food processing, storage, distribution and sale.
All food handlers MUST receive adequate food safety education and training that
ensures -
A good standard of food safety depends on foodworkers knowing -
and then by doing it properly.
PERSONAL HYGIENE
Food handlers have a moral and legal responsibility to keep high standards of personal cleanliness to ensure that they do not contaminate food.
HANDS
As the hands are often in direct contact with food, they are one of the main routes for
contaminating food and transferring food poisoning bacteria.
Food handlers must wash their hands regularly throughout the working day, drying them by
using single service roller towels, disposable paper towels or hot air dryers.
The practice of continually wiping the hands on a cloth held at the waist should cease, as
this only serves to contaminate them - not clean them.
HAND WASHING
All those handling food must wash their hands -
Before handling any food or equipment.
After handling raw food especially meat and chicken and before they handle other
foods.
Immediately after going to the toilet, blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing,
smoking, eating, combing or touching their hair, handling waste food or rubbish and
handling cleaning equipment.
All those handling food must -
CUTS AND SORES
Cuts and sores can provide an ideal place for bacterial growth.
To prevent contamination of food by harmful bacteria and blood, these wounds must be
completely covered by waterproof dressings, (preferably coloured to help locate them if
they come loose) and suitable gloves.
Waterproof dressings will also help prevent cuts from going septic.
NOSE, MOUTH AND EARS
Around 40% of adults carry Staphylococci bacteria in their nose or mouth. Coughing and
sneezing can carry the bacteria in droplets for a surprisingly large distance.
Using disposable single use paper tissues is preferable to handkerchiefs.
Discharges from the ears, eyes and nose may also contaminate food and foodworkers should see their Doctor if suffering from any of these infections.
Therefore food handlers must not -
HAIR
As hair is constantly falling out this can result in food being contaminated and so food
handlers should wear a suitable head covering, with long hair being adequately tied back.
The combing of hair and adjustment of head coverings must not be done in food preparation and handling areas.
SMOKING
It is illegal to use tobacco, (eg. cigarettes, pipes or cigars) in food preparation,
handling and storage areas or while handling or delivering food.
Not only is this to prevent cigarette ends and ash from contaminating food, but also
because -
JEWELLERY AND PERFUME
Food handlers should not wear earrings, watches, jewelled rings or brooches, as they can
harbour dirt and bacteria and the gem stones and small pieces of metal may end up in the
food, resulting in a customer complaint.
Strong smelling perfume should also not be worn, as it may taint foods, especially those with a high fat content.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
All food handlers should wear clean, washable, light-coloured protective clothing,
preferably without external pockets. Protective clothing must be suitable for the work
being carried out and should completely cover ordinary clothes. It is worn to protect the
food from the risk of contamination, not just to keep private clothing clean.
Dust, pet hairs and woollen fibres are some of the contaminants carried on ordinary
clothing.
Outdoor clothes and personal effects must not be brought into food preparation or handling
areas, but should be stored in suitable lockers or cupboards.
GENERAL HEALTH
Food handlers should be in good health - from oral hygiene to general fitness.
Any foodworker suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting or a food-borne infection MUST be excluded from work, and can only return after they
have been completely free of symptoms for 2 days. And they must stay away again if any
symptoms return.
Foodworkers with skin infections, sores, heavy colds and ear or eye discharge, must also
stay away from work until the symptoms have gone.
CLEANING
(PREMISES, UTENSILS AND EQUIPMENT)
GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING
Good housekeeping involves maintaining a clean, tidy workplace and using safe working
practices so that safe, clean, wholesome food can be economically prepared.
Good housekeeping is often implied in the statement, "The place is well run", and the results of a successful policy of good housekeeping include -
REFUSE DISPOSAL
As a lot of food premises refuse can quickly rot, it can become a source of disease by
providing food for insects and rodents. Its smell can also be a problem and used packaging
material can provide harbourage for vermin.
Refuse containers should be kept in good condition, have tight fitting lids and be
cleaned after emptying. Using plastic bin liners makes cleaning easier.
Paper sacks held in a frame with a close fitting lid can be used for dry refuse.
If possible, a separate fly-proof refuse room should be used to store containers before disposal and the refrigeration of meat and fish waste is required.
As refuse bins are usually stored in the yard, this area should be adequately paved, graded and drained to make cleaning easier.
CONTAMINATION
Clean food can be contaminated by bacteria from four main sources -
CLEANING
Unless the equipment that comes in contact with food is adequately cleaned and sanitised,
it may be a prime source of food contamination from bacteria.
Using combined detergent / sanitisers is preferable to straight detergents, as they will
help ensure that surfaces are cleaned while greatly reducing bacteria numbers at the same
time.
WASHING UTENSILS
All utensils used in the preparation of food should be thoroughly washed and
sanitised using an approved detergent sanitiser.
 |
WATER TEMPERATURE OF 43°C
minimum if HAND WASHING or 60°C when WASHING by MACHINE and 77°C for the SANITISING RINSE |
Any defective, (broken, chipped, cracked, or worn) utensils must not be used.
REASONS FOR CLEANING
EFFECTIVE CLEANING
Foodworkers must be trained to "clean as they go". Good
cleaning equipment is needed and may include vacuum cleaners, mops, buckets, brooms and
specialised items such as high pressure hot water cleaners and steam cleaners, etc.
Suitable protective clothing must be worn and the cleaning chemical manufacturer's
instructions followed.
Have Plenty of Light in all work and storage rooms - so dirt can't hide.
Cleaning equipment must be stored in a separate area, cupboard or locker away from
foodstuffs.
Chemicals must never be put into unmarked containers, or food containers.
Food must not be exposed to the risk of contamination during cleaning.
Regardless of the quality of cleaning chemicals, human effort and energy is needed for a
satisfactory result.
After use, the cleaning equipment itself must be cleaned and dried.
TO BE EFFECTIVE, CLEANING MUST BE PLANNED
Written Cleaning Schedules should be drawn up for all parts of the premises and should
then be put into practice (refer to the example below).
These schedules should state -
A regular check should then be made of the premises and the effectiveness of the cleaning schedule. An example of this is seen in the Weekly Evaluation sheet.
Month of : ___________________
| GRADING | A = Satisfactory B = Unsatisfactory |
(action Required) |
|---|
Christchurch City Council, PO Box 237, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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