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KITCHEN HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY
IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN HANDS
By Madhu.S.Thakar

“Hands are the principal utensil in foodservice. Good practices with regards to hand washing confirm management priorities and create a reassuring sense about the unseen food preparation steps," says Jim Mann, president of Infocus Learning Systems and executive director of The Hand washing Leadership Forum.

And the converse is also true.

        

Hand washing is a critical step in the cleanliness process. "Poor cleanliness conditions throughout the kitchen 'infect' workers' attitudes and discourage frequent hand washing," says Mann. "The downward spiral continues. They don't see cleanliness as a management priority in spite of all the signage and mission statements to the contrary."
  Many outbreaks of food poisoning have been attributable to a food handler in the not washing their hands after visiting the toilet. The co relation between poor hand hygiene in the food industry and harmful bacteria is well documented. The US Food and Drug Administration claims that more than 20 million cases of food poisoning every year occur as a result of unwashed hands. A study revealed that 60 percent of the food service personnel did not wash hands after using the toilet and a second study found that only 28.6 percent of hospital food handlers washed their hands between handling cooked and uncooked food.

It is not only visiting the toilet that results in the transfer of Micro organisms, the eyes, nose and mouth are other areas with high levels of Micro organisms.Simply by touching these areas, then handling food can cause contamination of that food.  Simple activities, such as smoking and shaking hands, can all result in cross contamination and food poisoning.  It is not surprising, therefore, that the food handler or more accurately, poor personal hygiene, that is the single most responsible source of food poisoning outbreaks.

        

The Hand washing Olympics* judges how well you clean your hands aided by the latest in modern technology, including electronically timed sinks which don't let you rinse off the soap until you've scrubbed clean, and other machines which actually wash your hands for you. Competitors are judged by an ultraviolet detector, which reveals what's been left behind after hand washing. Industry experts agree that poor hand washing is the most common route for transmission of disease by food handlers in restaurants and food plants, and indeed it is the most common cause of food borne illness in home kitchens, as well. Infections from E-coli, salmonella, and other bacteria are most commonly attributed to poor hand hygiene methods.

Even maintenance of equipment should be performed with clean hands. Not only may any transferred food debris or oils prevent proper sealing or functioning of equipment, but the possibility of establishing a bacterial colony inside a slicer face plate, for instance, could result in the contamination of any product subsequently sliced.

An effective hand washing program can be split into the following steps.
Recognize when hand washing is required-after using the washroom, touching a part of the body, coming into contact with a contaminant.
Remember to use an anti bacterial soap in order to maximize the number of bacteria being hit.
Wash hands effectively and regularly so, as not to miss the thumbs, the fingernails, the fingertips and the areas between the fingers. Scrubbing should take place for at least 30 seconds.
Washing and rinsing must be very thorough of all these areas.
Dry  thoroughly.

Here are some ideas about devising and implementing a clean hands and personal hygiene campaign.

Brainstorm with the employees a list of personal hygiene rules to follow when in the kitchen. Post these rules and maintain a checklist to show the consecutive number of days during which the entire kitchen staff meets all the criteria for personal cleanliness.

Assign kitchen staff in pairs to research health issues (e.g., chemical and biological contaminants of food, cross-contamination of food, food-borne diseases) and present their findings to the remaining employees. Ask employees to explain the relationship between their own hygiene and food safety.

After developing lists of personal hygiene rules for commercial kitchens and observing employees as they work in their stations, note evidence that they meet the following standards:

correct hand-washing procedures
clean apron
use of hair restraint
appropriate clothing and shoes
general cleanliness

Set an example within your organization, and thank your employees and co workers for their efforts.  Think about the positive impact it has on a customer and your business. 

*The Hand washing Olympics is sponsored by Compliance Control, Inc. of Forrestville, Maryland. Compliance Control manufactures The HyGenius system, an automatic hand washing and verification system used in food service, food processing, healthcare, and other facilities.

Some sources of  equipment and hand washing & personal hygiene aids such as

Hands free faucets, automatic/manual liquid or powder dispensers, hand tissues, paper towel dispensers, air hand dryers, towel dispensers, soaps and lotions, restroom odor control products, waterLess Hand ^{Sanitizer with moisturizer etc are located at.....}

www.germout.com	www.fmponline.com
www.moyerusa.com	www.tork.co.uk
www.worlddryer.com	www.diverseylever.com
www.ecolab.com/	www.kcprofessional.com
www.gojo.com/foodservice/	www.dmaonline.org
www.hygenius.com/	www.tsbrass.com
http://www.ameraproducts.com/commerce/

Sources of information
http://www.jacompaniesllc.com/Default.htm

http://www.fastinc.com

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca

http://www.sca-hygiene.co.uk

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