FOODY CORNERS

CHAPTER 2: SANITATION AND HYGIENE

 PERSONAL HYGIENE

Personal hygiene affects food safety as the human body is a source of many contamination. Many food-borne illnesses are traced to employees, chefs or cooks, that is, those preparing the food or those in the environment where the food is being prepared. Cook, staff members, employees are supposed to follow certain rules to maintain good sanitation and hygiene.

Pathogens are commonly found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people, scratching the head and nose can result in bacteria being transferred by hands onto food which may cause illnesses. Good personal hygiene is the first step to preventing food borne illnesses.

In order to maintain good personal hygiene, appearance, personal habits, health conditions and management, hand hygiene, protective clothing etc. should be considered.

Some habits to avoid in order to maintain good Personal Hygiene and Sanitations:

1. Starting with the habits of the Chef and employees; sneezing, coughing, smoking, storing of personal belongings, chewing, eating, touching ready to eat food with bare hands, spitting etc., should be avoided as germs and particles could easily be transmitted.

2. Anyone in charge of cooking or preparing food should be in good health.

3. A person with any disease or infections should not handle food. Diseases like diarrhoea, vomiting or sore throat shouldn't handle food or be in the surroundings where food is prepared.

4. As well as injuries; anybody with injuries or open wound should cover it with impermeable waterproof gloves or adhesive flesh coloured plaster. The bandages should be changed regularly. It is not advisable to prepare food, for yourself or anybody with an open wound, especially when it is a wound in the eyes, mouth, ears or gum.

5. It is important to maintain good sanitation and hygiene before preparing food, in order to avoid contamination of food borne diseases.

6. Whether cooking for yourself, family or the public, it is important to maintain good hygiene.

Below is a personal hygiene checklist:

• Head:

1. Cover your hair to avoid it dropping into the food you're cooking, this creates a very bad impression.

2. Make sure your hair is neat and safe from dandruff, lice etc. make sure you head, neck, ears are clean, without any wounds or injuries.

3. Your hair should not be greasy.

4. Your face should be clean and well shaved.

5. Your teeth should be clean.

6. Your face and complexion should be clean and your eyebrows trimmed, if bushy.

• Hands:

1. Wash your hands before starting or handling food and after using the toilet, handling raw food, or soiled utensils and equipment.

2. Make sure your nails are clean and trimmed.

3. Follow the hand washing procedure by washing with warm running water. Using liquid soap, rub hands for 20 seconds then wash thoroughly, rinse hands and dry with paper towel and then turn off the tap with a paper towel.

• Body and clothing:

1. Whether at home or restaurants, it is a good advice to wear protective clothing, for your benefit and those who will enjoy your food. The clothe should be neat and fit properly.

2. Buttons should be avoided as it may fall into the food.

3. Hair hat should be worn and long hair tied.

4. Wear disposable gloves when handling ready to eat food.

5. Wear neat shoes, closed cap toed shoes with non-slip soles or well shined shoes.

Rules for personal hygiene:

1. Keep your hands and fingernails clean and wash your hands using the hand washing procedure.

2. Don't work around food if you have open cuts or sores.

3. Do not cough, spit, sneeze or smoke near food, food containers, ingredients, utensils etc.

4. Wear the proper clothing when cooking.

5. Keep your environment/surroundings clean and spotless.

6. Wash ingredients and utensils well before and after using.

7. Use good and clean water in cooking etc.

 SANITATION

Remember to always keep the surrounding where you prepare foods clean, dispose the wastes, maintain good hygiene and ventilation. Your kitchen design layout should be able to provide ease of movement, enough storage area, dining area and maintain good section division.

Rules for sanitation:

1. Use clean utensils

2. Keep foods covered always.

3. Wash all fruits and vegetables before use.

4. Do not prepare too much food ahead.

5. Do not refreeze thawed meat, fish or vegetable.

6. Dispose garbage and rubbish promptly.

7. Separate raw foods from cooked foods.

8. Personal habits should be maintained and watched in the cooking area.