Personal Hygiene & Food Safety

Personal hygiene can have a direct impact on food safety. According to the National Food Service Management Institute, poor personal hygiene needs to be avoided as it is a risk factor in foodservice operations and can cause foodborne illnesses.

Avoiding Pathogens

• Any employees who work with food should not be allowed to work if they are sick with diarrhea or are throwing up. Workers who have bacterial pathogens such as Shigella or Salmonella, or who have symptoms of coughing and sneezing, should not be allowed to work with food, utensils or equipment.

Personal Hygiene

• People who work with food should wash their hands frequently and keep fingernails trimmed. If an employee has a wound on his hand or arm, he should have a bandage over the wound and should wear gloves to further prevent any contamination of the food. Those working with food should remove all jewelry with the exception of plain banded rings. Hair restraints should be worn by those working in kitchens or who are in any way involved in food preparation.

Tasting Food

• In any situation, be it at work or at home, when tasting food that is being prepared for others, place a small portion into a separate dish and do not reuse a utensil that has been used to taste the food.