Module 4

Personal Habits of Food Service Workers

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1.Discuss an employee’s health and personal hygiene;

2.Describe a healthy food handler;

3. Identify personal habits of food safety worker; and

4. Realize the importance of personal hygiene in the food establishment

Employee health and personal hygiene

Providing safe food begins during the hiring process. Studies shows that many cases
of foodborne illness can be linked directly to the lack of attention to personal hygiene,
cleanliness and food handling procedures.

The preventive measures that the food manager Implements to ensure food safety
should begin during the hiring stage of food service industry workers. This strategy is
accomplished through the health screening and careful training of food services
employees after they have been hired.

Policies should be designed, implemented and monitored to cover employees’ illness,

proper attire and personal hygiene habits. The specific methods aimed to fulfill the intent
of these policies are frequently referred to as infection control procedures.

A. Healthy food handler

A clean, hygienic environment starts with a healthy food handler. For a food handler
to be considered healthy, he/she must be free from diseases that may contaminate food,
such as intestinal disorders (typhoid fever and hepatitis), respiratory tract diseases
(tuberculosis, sore throat and colds), and skin diseases or disorders (boils, lesions and
skin infections)
A. Proper attire
1. Hair Restraint
The presence of hair in food indicates unhygienic food
preparation. Food handlers must wear a hair restraint at all
times to prevent hair from falling into the food. Common hair
restraints include nets, bonnets and caps. Wearing a hair
restraint also eliminates the contact of the hands with the head,
thereby preventing contaminations.
Figure 4.1 Use of hair net
 A hair restraint must be worn before hand washing and
working.
 A hair restraint must be properly worn and should not let a single strand of
hair show.
2. Work Clothes – Work clothes that include a kitchen uniform and an apron must
be worn inside the kitchen. Street clothes should never be worn to work as they may
be sources of contamination. Aprons help reduce the transfer of microbes to exposed
food.
 Work clothes should always be clean. Clean uniforms are more
appealing to the costumers.
 As much as possible, aprons should be of light color to easily
reveal dirt.
 Never use the apron as a hand towel.
 Change the apron when soiled.
 A food worker must wash his/her hands after touching
Figure 4.2 Use of clean apron
his/her apron.
 Remove the apron before leaving the food preparation area.

3. Footwear – Because footwear can serve as a

source of contamination, it is necessary to use
footwear exclusively for kitchen use. Footwear worn
outside should not be worn in the food preparation area to Figure 4.3 Proper footwear in
the kitchen
 prevent the possibility of contaminations. Close shoes should be worn at all times to
prevent slipping or falling.

4. Facial Masks – Facial mask prevent airborne

microorganisms from the nose and mouth from getting into
the food when talking, coughing or sneezing. These masks
will also prevent direct contact of the hands with the nose and
mouth, both of which are sources of contamination.
Figure 4.4 Proper Facial mask
5. Gloves – Gloves act as barriers between the hands and in the kitchen
food. However, these must not be made substitutes for
proper hand washing.
 Proper hand washing prior to wearing of gloves should be observed.
 Gloves must be sanitized and changed every day or whenever necessary.
 Gloves must be devoid of any tear or holes as these are possible sources
of contamination.
 Never reuse or wash disposable gloves, always throw them away after use.

Figure 4.5 Proper Hand Gloves in the

kitchen

B. Personal Habits of Food Workers

All of us carry diseases-causing microorganism on or in our bodies. These microbes

can be transferred to food. By staying healthy and keeping clean, one can help prevent
an outbreak of foodborne illnesses.
1. Taking Daily Baths
Taking a bath daily is the most basic requirement among food handlers as it ensures
their cleanliness.
2. Trimming of Nails
Trimmed nails are a requisite for food preparation. Untrimmed nails are not only
unsightly but also potential sources of contamination.
3. Shaving and Haircuts for Males
As facial hair is a source of contamination, male food handlers are required to shave
as necessary. Short, neat haircuts must be maintained as well.
4. Covering of Wounds
Wounds or cuts must be properly covered with a moisture-proof bandage which must
be frequently changed to prevent the risk of contamination.
5. Wearing of Jewelry
Wearing of jewelry must be prohibited at all times. Aside from being a physical hazard,
jewelry may also become biological hazards as they have crevices that can harbor
microbial growth.
6. Wearing of Nail Polish or False/Artificial Fingernails
Because nail can get into food, wearing of nail polish or false/artificial fingernails
should not be allowed among food handlers.
7. Smoking and Eating
A high standard of cleanliness must be practiced by food handlers at all times. Any
unhygienic practice that could result in cross-contamination of food, such as smoking and
eating inside the kitchen, should not be allowed. Eating and smoking areas must be set
up outside the kitchen premises.
8. Hand Washing
The single most important practice in preventing the spread of foodborne illness is
proper and frequent hand washing. Since person-to-person contamination can play a
significant role in the spread of some enteric pathogens, hand hygiene is a critical element
in any outbreak prevention and control strategy. Always soap and rub hands for at least
20 seconds.
9. Tasting of Food
 A small amount of the food to be sampled must be transferred into a separate bowl.
The dish must be tasted with a clean spoon that must be immediately washed after use.
Never taste the food with the fingers.
10. Storing Personal Belongings
Personal belongings like bags and clothes should be stored in lockers or cabinets
away from the food preparation areas.
11. Other Personal Habits
Blowing air into plastic bags or using the teeth for opening packages are prohibited in
food production. Blowing into food containers like plastic bags brings airborne
microorganisms in contact with the contents of the container. Opening packages using
one’s teeth are potential sources of contamination as well.
Other personal hygiene habits to be addressed by policy include:
 Do not lick fingers, or touch the nose, mouth or hair while in the production area.
 Never spit in the food handling area.
 Never apply makeup or spritz perfume in food-preparation areas.
 Do not sit or lean on work tables or equipment.
 Do not allow unauthorized personnel in the production area.

C. Cuts and Abrasions

All cuts and abrasions, such as burns and boils, should be covered with waterproof
bandages or dressing. Usually, these bandages are colored blue so that they can be
easily spotted. Cuts on hands should be covered with a waterproof bandage and a
watertight disposable glove.
D. Employee Illnesses
Employees with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, respiratory infection, or sore
throat should not report to work. Any employee suspected of having a communicable
disease as listed by the CDC should be referred to the employee health or their personal
physician for clearance before returning to work.
E. Education and Training

Appropriate orientation on the hazards of the

food industry, and adequate, periodic training
must be implemented for the food production
personnel to fully understand and their
responsibilities toward food safety. Use of visual
control or reminders in the form of posters and
signs is an effective way of reinforcing hygienic Figure 4.6 safe Food Handler
habits in the kitchen.

D. MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FOOD

MANAGER

Food managers, especially those responsible for providing food to be “at-risk”

population, have an important responsibility in the prevention of foodborne illness. They
must educate and instill a sense of urgency to food service employees on the realities of
foodborne diseases. Food service managers themselves must be well educated on food
safety and related topics such as microbiology, epidemiology, food sciences and standard
operating procedures.

A food manager is a person who:

1. identifies hazards in the day-to-day operation of a food establishment that

prepares, serves, vends or provides food for human consumption;
2. develops or implements specific policies, procedures or standards aimed at
preventing foodborne illnesses
3. coordinates training, supervises, or direct food preparation activities, and takes
corrective action as needed to protect the health of the costumers; and
4. conducts in-house self-inspection of daily operations on a periodic basis to see
that policies and procedures concerning food safety are being followed.

A certified food protection manager will have to be able ti demonstrate knowledge and
skills in food protection management. He/she should also be able to:
1. identify foodborne illnesses;
2. describe the relationship between time and temperature and the growth of
microorganism that cause foodborne illnesses;
3. describe the relationship between personal hygiene and food safety;
4. describe methods on how to prevent food contamination when purchasing and
receiving;
5. recognize problems and solutions associated with temperature control, cross
contamination, housekeeping and maintenance.
Key Points
1. A clean, hygienic environment starts with a healthy food handler. For a food
handler to be considered healthy, he/she must be free from diseases that may
contaminate food, such as intestinal disorders (typhoid fever and hepatitis),
respiratory tract diseases (tuberculosis, sore throat and colds), and skin diseases
or disorders (boils, lesions and skin infections)
2. Several examples of Personal Habits of Food Workers are taking daily baths,
trimming of nails, covering of wounds, Hand washing and trimming of nails.
Wearing jewelry smoking and eating, wearing of nail polish must be prohibited in
the kitchen premises.
3. All cuts and abrasions, such as burns and boils, should be covered with waterproof
bandages or dressing. Usually, these bandages are colored blue so that they can
be easily spotted. Cuts on hands should be covered with a waterproof bandage
and a watertight disposable glove.
4. Employees with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, respiratory infection, or
sore throat should not report to work. Any employee suspected of having a
communicable disease as listed by the CDC should be referred to the employee
health or their personal physician for clearance before returning to work.
5. Appropriate orientation on the hazards of the food industry, and adequate, periodic
training must be implemented for the food production personnel to fully understand
and their responsibilities toward food safety. Use of visual control or reminders in
the form of posters and signs is an effective way of reinforcing hygienic habits in
the kitchen.
6. Food managers, especially those responsible for providing food to be “at-risk”
population, have an important responsibility in the prevention of foodborne illness.
They must educate and instill a sense of urgency to food service employees on
the realities of foodborne diseases. Food service managers themselves must be
well educated on food safety and related topics such as microbiology,
epidemiology, food sciences and standard operating procedures.
References and Supplementary Materials

Books

1. Ang, Balanon (2010). Food Safety and Sanitation

Online Supplementary Reading Material

1. http://www.osha.gov (Occupational Safety and Health Association)

2. http://www.foodsafety.gov (Gateway to Government Food Safety Organization)