How to have Good Personal Hygiene in Food Preparation

Health is wealth. We have already heard of people who have been hospitalized due to infections brought about the food-borne diseases.  Food-borne disease is caused by bacteria. And most food-borne disease is caused by bacteria due to bad personal hygiene of food workers.

Contaminations are harmful substances which are not originally present in the food. Some contamination occurs even before we receive the food.  But most food contamination occurs as a result of cross-contamination, defined as the transfer of hazardous substances, mainly microorganisms (such as bacteria), to a food from another food or another surface, such as equipment, worktables, or even hands. Examples of situations in which cross-contamination can occur include the following:

                • Mixing of contaminated leftovers with a freshly cooked batch of prepared food.

                • Handling several types of food without washing hands in between.

                • Cutting raw meat, then using the same cutting board, unsanitized, to cut vegetables.

                • Placing ready-to-eat foods on a lower refrigerator shelf  from which juices from raw meat or chicken will drip onto them from an upper shelf.

                • Cleaning work surfaces with a dirty cloth.

                • Handling prepared foods with unclean hands.

The first step in preventing food-borne disease is good personal hygiene.  We cannot deny the fact that we have bacteria all over our skin and in our nose and mouth.  Some of these bacteria, if allowed to grow in food, will make people sick.

1. Wear clean uniforms and aprons

2. Bathe or shower daily.

3.If you have contagious disease, do not work with food.

4. Keep hair neat and clean. Always wear a hat or hairnet.

5. Have mustaches and beards trimmed. Better yet, be clean-shaven.

6. Remove the rings, low-hanging earrings, watches, bracelets. Avoid facial piercings; if you have them, avoid touching them.

7. Wash hands and exposed parts of arms before working and as often as necessary during food work, including:

                • After eating, drinking, or smoking.

                • After using the toilet.

                • After touching or handling anything that may be contaminated with bacteria.

8. Cover coughs and sneezes with a clean handkerchief, then wash your hands.

9. Keep your hands away from your face, eyes, hair, and arms.

10. Keep fingernails clean and short. Do not wear nail polish.

11. Do not smoke or chew gum while on duty.

12. Cover cuts or sores (wounds) with clean bandages. Wear gloves if you have sore on your hands.