Personal hygiene checklist.

cross-contamination can occur include the following:

• Mixing contaminated leftovers with a freshly cooked batch of
food.
Self • Handling ready-to-eat foods with unclean hands.
Stay healthy. Maintain daily sleep, well-balanced diet, and • Handling several types of food without washing hands in
relaxation. between.
Report to supervisor if you are sick. • Cutting raw chicken, then using the same cutting board,
Stay clean. Practice daily bathing, shampoo hair regularly, use unsanitized, to cut vegetables.
• Placing ready-to-eat foods on a lower refrigerator shelf and
deodorant, and take care allowing juices from raw
of fingernails—they should be cleaned, trimmed, and free of fish or meat to drip onto them from an upper shelf.
polish and decorations. • Wiping down work surfaces with a soiled cloth.
Wear only clothes that are new or have been washed. Shoes For the food worker, the first step in preventing food-borne
disease is good personal
should cover the foot hygiene. Even when we are healthy, we have bacteria all over our
(no sandals, open toe) and have nonskid soles. skin and in our nose and
Wear caps or hairnets. mouth. Some of these bacteria, if given the chance to grow in
Avoid items that may fall into food/beverages: hairpins, jewelry, food, will make people ill.
false nails, nail polish, 1. Do not work with food if yo u have any communicable disease
or infection.
nail decorations, bandages on hand (cover with plastic gloves), 2. Bathe or shower daily.
handkerchiefs. 3. Wear clean uniforms and aprons.
4. Keep hair neat and clean. Always wear a hat or hairnet. Hair
Food Handling longer than shoulder
length must first be tied back and then secured under a net or hat.
Avoid handling food; use serving spoons, scoopers, dippers, 5. Keep mustaches and beards trimmed and clean. Better yet, be
tongs, and ladles. clean-shaven.
Cover all exposed food with lids, plastic wrap, or aluminum wrap. 6. Remove all jewelry: rings, low-hanging earrings, watches,
Taste food with clean spoon and do not reuse. bracelets. Avoid facial
If gloves are used, change them between food and nonfood piercings; if you have them, don’t touch them.
7. Wash hands and exposed parts of arms before work and as
handling. often as necessary during
work, including:
Kitchen • After eating, drinking, or smoking.
Wash hands in the hand-washing sink before starting and after • After using the toilet.
• After touching or handling anything that may be contaminated
breaks/meals.
with bacteria.
Cover all coughs/sneezes and immediately wash hands in hand 8. Cover coughs and sneezes, then wash your hands.
sink. 9. Keep your hands away from your face, eyes, hair, and arms.
No smoking or gum chewing. 10. Keep fingernails clean and short. Do not wear nail polish.
Keep all surfaces clean. 11. Do not smoke or chew gum while on duty.
12. Cover cuts or sores with clean bandages. If the sore is on the
Use potholders for pots and dish towels for dishes.
hands, you must wear
Keep cleaning items away from foods/beverages.
Ten Rules for Handling Food Safely
Serving 1. All employees must follow strict personal hygiene policies.
Hold plates without touching the surface. 2. Potentially hazardous foods should be identified on the
Carry silverware only by the handles. menu, and safe handling procedures should be established
Handle glassware without touching the rim or the inside. for each.
3. Food must be obtained from approved suppliers
Personal Hygiene 4. Time/temperature abuse must be avoided when handling
Earlier in this chapter, we said most food-borne disease is caused prepared foods.
by bacteria. Now we expand 5. Potentially hazardous raw foods must be kept separate from
that statement slightly to say that most food-borne disease is
ready-to-eat foods.
caused by bacteria spread by
food workers. 6. Cross-contamination must be avoided: Establish handwashing
At the beginning of this chapter, we defined contamination as guidelines. Wash, rinse and sanitize all food contact
harmful substances not surfaces.
present originally in the food. Some contamination occurs before 7. Foods must be cooked to recommended internal
we receive the food, which temperatures.
means proper purchasing and receiving procedures are important
parts of a sanitation program. 8. Hot foods should be held hot (135 F or greater) and cold
But most food contamination occurs as a result of cross- foods held cold (41 F or lower).
contamination, defined as the 9. Foods must be cooled from 135 F to 70 F in 2 hours or less
transference of hazardous substances, mainly microorganisms, to and from 70 F to 41 F in 4 hours or less.
a food from another food 10. Leftovers must be heated to 165 F for at least 15 seconds
or another surface, such as equipment, worktables, or hands.
within 2 hours. Leftovers only should be reheated once
Examples of situations in which