Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler

Hand Antiseptics

(Hand Sanitizers) Liquids or gets that are used to lower the number of pathogens on skin.

When buying gloves, follow these guidelines:

1. Approved gloves only gloves approved for foodservice showed be purchased 2. Disposable gloves- Buy only single-use gloves for handling food. Never wash and ruse gloves 3. Multiple size- make sure you provide different glove sizes 4. Latex alternatives- some food handlers and customers may be sensitive o latex. consider providing gloves made from other materials.

Food Handlers must change their gloves at all of these times

1. As soon as the gloves become dirty or torn 2. Before beginning a different task. 3. After an interruption, such as talking a phone call 4. After handling raw meat, seafood, or poultry, and before handling ready-to-eat food. 5. After four hours of continuous use.

Some things that support a personal hygiene program include:

1. Creating personal hygiene policies 2. Training food handlers on those policies and retraining them regularly 3. Modeling the correct behavior at all times 4. Supervising food safety practices at all times 5. Revising personal hygiene policies when laws or science change.

If they have touched food or food contact surfaces with unclean hands

1. Dispose of the contaminated food. 2. Clean potentially contaminated equipment and utensils. 3. Retrain or coach food handlers who are not following proper handwashing procedures if necessary.

If the food handler has at least one of these symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice(yellow skin or eyes)

1. Exclude the food handler from the operation 2. Vomiting and diarrhea food handlers must meet one of these requirements before they can return to work: Have had no symptoms for at least 24 hours, have a written release form from a medical practitioner 3. Jaundice Food handlers must be reported to the regulatory authority. Food handlers who have had jaundice for seven days or less must be excluded from the operation . Food handlers must have written release form from medical practitioner to work.

If the food handler is vomiting or has diarrhea and has been diagnosed with an illness caused by one of these pathogens: norovirus, shigella sp., nontyphoidal salmonella, e.coli, or the food handler has been diagnosed with an illness caused by one of these pathogens: Hepatitis a, salmonella typhi

1. Exclude the food handler from the operation. 2. Report the situation to the regulatory authority. 3. Some food handlers diagnosed with an illness may not experience symptoms, or their symptoms may have ended. Work with medical practitioner to determine whether the food handler can return or not.

Food handlers can contaminate food in any of the following situations:

1. Have foodborne illness 2. Have wounds or boils that contain a pathogen 3. Sneezing or coughing 4. Have contact with a person who is ill 5. Use the restroom and do not wash their hands 6. Have symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or jaundice.

Never eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum or tobacco when:

1. Prepping or serving food 2. Working in prep areas 3. working in areas used to clean utensils and equipments.

Your staff must tell you when they are sick. Your regulatory authority may ask for proof that you have done this, which can be provided in the following ways:

1. Presenting signed statements in which staff have agreed to report illnesses. 2. Providing documentations showing staff have completed training, which includes information on the importance of reporting illness. 3. Posting signs or providing pocket cards that remind staff to notify managers when they are sick.

Jewelry

1. Remove jewelry before prepping food or when working around prep areas. 2. Rings, except for a plain band 3. Bracelets, including medical bracelets 4. Watches 5. Your company may also require you to remove other jewelries

Some of the Actions that can contaminate food are

1. Scratching the Scalp 2. Running fingers through the air 3. Wiping or touching the nose 4. Rubbing an ear 5. Touching a pimple or an infected wound/ boil 6. Wearing and touching a dirty uniform 7. Coughing or sneezing into the hand 8. Spitting in the operation

Food Handlers must wash their hands after the following activities:

1. Using the restroom 2. Touching the body or clothing 3. Coughing, sneezing, blowing nose, or using a handkerchief or tissue 4. Eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum or tabacos 5. Handling soiled items 6. Handling raw meat, seafood, or poultry. 7. Taking out garbages 8. Handling service animals or aquatic animals 9. Handling chemicals that might affect food safety 10. Changing task (before beginning new task) 11. Leaving and returning to the kitchen/ prep area. 12. Handling money 13. Using electronic devices 14. Touching anything else that may contaminate hands, such as dirty equipment, work surfaces, or clothes.

When using single-use gloves, follow these guidelines to prevent contamination:

1. Wash your hands, before putting on glove. When starting a new task. You do not need to rewash your hands each time you change gloves as long as you are performing the same task and your hands have not become contaminated. 2. Select the correct glove size. Gloves that are too big will not stay on. Those that are too small will tear or rip easily. 3. Hold gloves by the edge when putting them on. Avoid touching the glove as mucha s possible. 4.Once you have put them on, check the gloves for rips or tears. 5. Never blow into gloves 6. Never roll gloves to make them easier to put on 7. Never wash and reuse gloves

Hair restraints

1. Wear a clean hat or other hair restraint when in a food-prep area. 2. Do not wear hair accessories that could become physical contaminants. 3. DO not wear false eyelashes

Clean Clothing

1. Wear clean clothing daily 2. Change soiled uniforms, including aprons, as needed to prevent contamination. 3. If possible, change into work clothes at work. 4. Store street clothing and personal belongings in designated areas. 5. Keep dirty clothing away from food and prep area.

The 5 steps for proper hand washing are:

1. Wet hands and arms. Use running warm water 2. Apply soap. Make sure there is enough soup to build up a good lather. follow the manufacturers's recommendations.

Apron

1.Remove aprons when leaving prep areas. 2. Never wipe your hands on your apron

IF the food handler has a sore throat with a fever

1.Restrict the food handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment. 2. Exclude the food handler from the operation if you primarily serve a high-risk population.They can return if they have written release form from a medical practitioner

Only use hand antiseptics ________ handwashing, _______ use it in place of it.

After, Never

The wound or boil is located on another part of the body

Cover it with a dry, durable, tight-fitting bandage.

If the wound or boil is located on the hand or wrist

Cover it with an impermeable cover like a finger cot. (bandages and finger cots)

If the wound or boil is located on the arm

Cover it with an impermeable cover.

Employees can drink from a _______________ if they handle the container carefully to prevent contamination

Covered container

T/F Wear false fingernails

False

If you see food handlers who are not following proper handwashing procedures correct the situation ______

Immediately

Single-use gloves should ________ be used in place of handwashing

Never

If you are not careful, you can contaminate your hands after washing them. Consider using a _______ to turn off the faucet and to open the door when leaving the restroom.

Paper Towel

Proper handwashing and hand care are critical to preventing the spread of _____

Pathogens

Carriers

People who carry pathogens and infect others without ever getting sick themselves

To keep food handlers from contaminating food, your operation needs a good_______

Personal Hygiene Program

Single-use gloves should always be worn when handling _______. Exceptions include when ________ or when handling ready-to-eat ingredients for a dish that will be cooked

Ready-to-eat food, Washing produce

IF the food handler has persistent sneezing, coughing, or a runny nose that causes discharges from the eyes, nose, or mouth

Restrict the food handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment

If the food handler has an infected wound or boil that is not properly covered.

Restrict the food handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equiptment

Pathogens can be found on hair and skin. There is a greater risk of these pathogens being transferred to food if the food handler doesn't follow a personal hygiene program. Make sure food handlers _________

SHower or bathe before work.

Keep fingernails

Short and clean

T/F Do not wear nail polish. However, nail polish can be worn if the food handler wears single-use gloves.

True

T/F Hands must be washed in a sink designated for handwashing and Never in sinks designated for food prep or dishwashing or sinks used for discarding waste water

True

T/F With other illnesses, a person may infect other people for days or even months after symptoms are gone. Norovirus can be spread for days after symptoms have ended.

True

T/F with some illnesses, a person may infect others before showing any symptoms. (For example, a person could spread Hepatitis A for weeks before having any symptoms.)

True

Do not handle ready-to-eat foods with

bare hands

Single-use gloves are designed for one task, after which they must be

discarded