Food Safety At Work And In The Home
Food safety and food poisoning is a big issue. Poisoning can be caused by a wide range of problems – not only with the food itself, but by the way it is handled and prepared.
Here at Bill & Sheila’s Cookbook we are very aware of the these problems. We have to be. Because in Spain, if you cause food poisoning through your lack of knowledge or procedures – you end up in jail!
Our aim is to educate people who work in the food trade, or indeed in your own home kitchen, about how food poisoning occurs and what you can do to prevent it. To this end, we have compiled a series of articles which outlines how bacterial, viral and chemical contamination causes of food poisoning and how simple neglect in the handling of food can lead to potentially fatal outcomes.
To start this series off, we are going to discuss the basics of food handling. There are many food handling courses available, many available on-line, and every person involved in food-handling should hold a recognised food-handling certificate.
We are not going to present a food-handling course in this article. What we are going to do is make you aware of the essential elements involved.
Sickness of employees
Employees, or even yourself if you are working in the family kitchen, should not handle or prepare food if they are suffering from any communicable Diseases. This is the 3rd largest cause of the passing on of disease through food.
What is a communicable disease?
A communicable disease is any disease or condition that can be passed on to others by touch or by close proximity – or through the handling of food. For example, the following conditions are among the most common of communicable diseases – gastro-intestinal problems. fever, vomiting, sore throat, diarrhoea, flu, jaundice and any visible discharges from the eyes, ears or nose. There are many more situations which can be described as communicable. A proper food handling course will identify all of these situations.
Anyone with these symptoms, or indeed, anyone who has someone in their close family who has these symptoms, should not work with food.
There are many diseases that can be picked up while on vacation to countries that have less than satisfactory sanitary conditions. People returning from these countries should watch out for the onset of symptoms which may indicate a disease or condition has be contracted while on vacation. Other articles in this series will help you to identify these situations.
If an employee has a cut, wound, burns or boils, they should receive medical treatment and advice as soon as possible. A puncture wound from a sharp knife or animal bone can lead to tetanus. The bacteria for this disease cannot survive in oxygen, but with a deep puncture wound, the recipient is highly susceptible to contracting tetanus (see article on tetanus)
Employees wearing bandages should not work with food. If a small wound is covered by a band-aid or elastoplast, it must be of the approved food quality standard.
All personal jewellery should be removed before working with food. It is very easy for an ear-ring or finger ring to drop unnoticed into food and germs thrive under watches and bracelets etc.
You should also wear approved working overalls, hair and beard covering coverings where necessary, which should be laundered every day.
Personal hygiene is very important. You must wash your hands every time you use the toilet, and dry them on disposable paper towels or under hot air driers. Simply tuning off the tap with your bear hands could transfer germs back to your hands – use a paper towel to turn the tap off. You should wash before starting work and frequently during the shift – never dry your hands on your apron or dishcloth
Another very important fact should be noted by all food handlers: Norovirus – “the stomach bug”. This is a nasty infection which causes gastroenteritis. The common symptoms of which are vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps. Persons suffering from this ailment must never work with food. The virus is so small that it is very easily spread through the air and into food and drinks. In recent years recorded outbreaks of this illness have occurred on cruise ships, in hospitals, schools and institutions. It most of these cases, it was found that a contaminated food handler was involved. Good personal hygiene and kitchen hygiene is the best way to avoid outbreaks of this infection.
Other aspects of food handling include: temperature of stored foods, the storage and preparation of raw and cooked food, the use of different utensils and cutting boards etc.
This has just been a general introduction to food handling. More detailed information will be included in future articles. If you need further information regarding Food Safety and Food Poisoning, visit our Food Safety section at Bill & Sheila’s Cookbook
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