Lecture 3: Food contamination and staff

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A. Food Safety and H.A.C.C.P.4. Staff Hygiene
Rules
3. Food contamination and staff
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Food cross-contamination

• Food workers are usually the main source of food
  cross-contamination. They can spread harmful
  germs onto food
• by touching parts of their body
• from their clothes
• from bad workplace habits

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Cross-contamination by touching body parts

• Hands Nails
• Mouth, nose, ears, neck
• Hair
• Sores, pimples, infected skin etc.
• Bacteria transferred to food (microbiological
  cross-contamination)
• Foreign bodies, such as hair, nails, found in
  food (physical cross-contamination)

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Nails

• fingernails harbor the most bacteria found on the
  human hands
• nails should always be kept short and clean
• food handlers should not wear nail polish or
  artificial nails

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Nose, mouth and ears

• they are the perfect environment for some
  pathogenic microorganisms to grow (eg.
  Staphylococcus)
• coughing and sneezing over food spread germs
• secretions from nose, mouth or ears can
  contaminate foods

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Wounds

• permit the growth of microorganisms
• should be covered with waterproof colored
  adhesive bandage

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Jewellery

• Wearing jewellery while handling food is
  forbidden because
• it promotes the growth of microorganisms
• it harbors dirt and bacteria
• it does not allow proper hand washing
• stones and small pieces of metal may end up on
  food

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Hair

• microorganisms from the hair may be transferred
  to the food
• hair must be washed regularly and tied back
• long hair must be covered with a hair net,
  available from a dispenser at the kitchen
  entrance
• All food employees must wear hats to reduce the
  risk of food contamination with hairs

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Bad workplace habits

• Staff should avoid
• eating, drinking, sneezing or coughing over food
• smoking (physical cross-contamination with
  ashes)
• touching their mouth, nose, ears, neck and hair
  at work
• eating food using their hands or reused spoons
  and forks

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Food contamination and staff
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Summary of 3th Lecture

• Food cross contamination