The lesson
01
Why hygiene matters around food
Safe Food Victoria explains that bacteria which cause food poisoning can be on anyone, even people who are healthy. They can pass to food when we touch our nose, mouth, hair or clothes, and then touch food.
Good hygiene breaks that chain. The Food Safety Information Council adds that washing hands properly may also mean fewer colds and flu.
Source:Safe Food Victoria — Personal hygiene for food handlers (opens in a new tab)Food Safety Information Council — Food safety tips (opens in a new tab)
02
When official guidance calls for handwashing
Official guidance lists the moments when hands should be washed. FSANZ, Safe Food Victoria and the Food Safety Information Council give similar lists.
Guidance also explains how: soap and warm running water, scrubbing palms, backs of hands, wrists, between fingers and under nails, then drying well. FSANZ says to scrub for at least 15 seconds. The Food Safety Information Council suggests 20 seconds to wash and 20 seconds to dry. Safe Food Victoria says never to dry hands on a tea towel or clothes.
- Before starting to handle food, and when coming back to it
- Between handling raw food and ready-to-eat food
- After using the toilet, or helping a child with toileting or nappies
- After coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, eating, drinking or smoking
- After touching hair, nose or mouth, handling rubbish or animals, or cleaning
Source:Food Standards Australia New Zealand — Health and hygiene – advice for food handlers (opens in a new tab)Safe Food Victoria — Personal hygiene for food handlers (opens in a new tab)Food Safety Information Council — Food safety tips (opens in a new tab)
03
Personal hygiene in food settings
Hygiene is more than clean hands. Guidance for food handlers also covers clothing, hair, nails, jewellery and cuts, because each can bring germs or objects into contact with food.
Gloves can help, but they don’t replace handwashing. Safe Food Victoria says to wash and dry hands before putting gloves on, and to change gloves at the times you would otherwise wash your hands.
- Clean clothes and an apron; long hair tied back or covered
- Short nails, no nail polish, and plain rings or sleeper earrings only
- Cuts fully covered, ideally with a brightly coloured waterproof bandage
- Tongs or gloves, not bare hands, for ready-to-eat food
- Phones and personal items kept away from food areas
Source:Food Standards Australia New Zealand — Health and hygiene – advice for food handlers (opens in a new tab)Safe Food Victoria — Personal hygiene for food handlers (opens in a new tab)
04
Illness and handling food
Some illnesses can spread through food, such as gastro and hepatitis A. Food handlers who are unwell can contaminate the food they touch.
According to FSANZ, someone who has had a foodborne illness shouldn’t return to handling food until a doctor clears them — usually two days (48 hours) after their symptoms have gone. At home, the Food Safety Information Council’s advice is simple: if you’re sick, let someone else do the cooking.
- Tell your supervisor if you feel unwell, even with a cold or eye infection
- Don’t handle food while you have vomiting, diarrhoea or fever
- Safe Food Victoria: return only after symptoms have stopped for 48 hours
- If unsure, ask a doctor for advice
Source:Food Standards Australia New Zealand — Health and hygiene – advice for food handlers (opens in a new tab)Safe Food Victoria — Personal hygiene for food handlers (opens in a new tab)Food Safety Information Council — Food safety tips (opens in a new tab)
05
Hygiene expectations for food handlers in Victoria
Victorian food handlers work under Australia’s food safety standards. Safe Food Victoria explains that Standard 3.2.2 requires people who handle food to have the right skills and knowledge for the work they do.
Safe Food Victoria encourages everyone working with food to train in safe food handling, and suggests its free online program, DoFoodSafely, as a good place to start. Its food safety posters are also available in community languages. This course is an introduction only and doesn’t replace that training.
- Knowing how to find and follow workplace food safety information
- Knowing how to spot and fix, or report, unsafe practices
- Knowing who to report food safety problems to
- Knowing their own health and hygiene responsibilities
Source:Safe Food Victoria — Personal hygiene for food handlers (opens in a new tab)