Personal Hygiene in Food Safety PDF

MRS J.M MUYENGA PERSONAL HYGIENE IN FOOD SAFETY  MRS J.M MUYENGA PERSONAL HYGIENE: PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1. Food handlers as a key element in the contamination paths of food 2. Behaviour patterns and facilities that improve food safety 3....

MRS J.M MUYENGA PERSONAL HYGIENE IN FOOD SAFETY  MRS J.M MUYENGA PERSONAL HYGIENE: PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1. Food handlers as a key element in the contamination paths of food 2. Behaviour patterns and facilities that improve food safety 3. Managing personal hygiene  MRS J.M MUYENGA WITHOUT PERSONAL HYGIENE THERE IS NO FOOD SAFETY Food handled improperly has been connected to outbreaks of foodborne disease. Humans in good health are coated in microbes. Some indigenous bacteria are a component of the skin's natural flora. Furthermore, bacteria known as transients live on skin for a brief period of time following skin contact with contaminated surfaces or items. Humans have the ability to spread both resident and transitory germs to food and food preparation equipment.  A HEALTHY HUMAN IS COVERED WITH MRS J.M MUYENGA MICROORGANISMS in the nose in the mouth on the skin on hair (incl. beards and mustaches) under the nails  MRS J.M MUYENGA The human gastro-intestinal tract excretes microorganisms EXCRETI ON 1 kg – The adult gastro-intestinal tract contains over 1kg of gut bacteria. – Humans excrete fecal bacteria with every defecation. – Gut bacteria are considered healthy and necessary for digestion but some of them are potentially pathogenic.  PEOPLE SHED PATHOGENIC MRS J.M MUYENGA MICROORGANISMS shedding starts pathogens continue to be shed! illness ends time – People shed pathogenic bacteria and viruses before they have major symptoms of illness. – Food workers can become permanent carries of pathogens and yet exhibit no signs of illness. A known example are Salmonella carriers. – Ill people and permanent carriers are a major threat to food safety.  WOUNDS SHED PATHOGENIC MRS J.M MUYENGA MICROORGANISMS wound healed time – Open wounds can shed high amounts of bacteria and the shedding will continue until the wound is healed. – A person with an open wound must not handle food. Wounds must be bandaged to ensure that food are not contaminated.  MRS J.M MUYENGA ONLY MINUTE AMOUNTS OF CERTAIN PATHOGENS Campylobacter jejuni and Hepatitis A are two examples of ARE inNECESSARY TO pathogens that are infective minute doses. CAUSE INFECTIONS Infections can therefore occur easily when just one food handler does not observe hand hygiene rules. Even if someone seems to have clean hands they might be Campylobacter jejuni on agar medium infecting the food they are preparing. BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT ROUTES OF MRS J.M MUYENGA CONTAMINATION EXIST direct indirect Direct contamination involves Indirect contamination is possible transfer of microorganisms from by various pathways. In the above people to food through direct image the knife and the board physical contact. might have been in contact with raw poultry harbouring Campylobacter and would then contaminate the tomato.  MRS J.M MUYENGA THE FECAL-ORAL ROUTE The fecal-oral route of contamination refers to contaminations where the primary source of contamination is human or animal feces. Due to unhygienic practices the contamination is spread to fingers, into water or comes into contact with pests. The infections then can quickly spread to everyday objects, foods, and utensils. At the last stage the contaminant is ingested by a person. THE CONTAMINATION MRS J.M MUYENGA PATHS OF THE FECAL-ORAL ROUTE ARE COMPLEX  PERSONAL HYGIENE: MRS J.M MUYENGA PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1. Food handlers as a key element in the contamination paths of food 2. Behaviour patterns and facilities that improve food safety 3. Managing personal hygiene  EDEN UNIVERSITY PERSONAL BEHAVIOR Habits such as picking the nose, ears or other parts of your body and coughing inside the factory are prohibited Avoid wearing dirty work wear – micro-organisms can survive on it and can be transferred on to food Cover cuts, sores or infected skin with blue waterproof plasters Hands are cleaner when finger nails are kept short Supplying (by laundry) clean work clothes Remove protective clothing before entering toilet  MRS J.M MUYENGA HAND WASHING Washing hands the right way only requires three elements: – running water, – soap, and – something to dry hands Step 1 Step 2 with. Careful washing includes scrubbing palms, back of hands, between fingers, under nails. The correct washing of hands Step 3 Step 4 takes time!  HANDS NEED TO BE WASHED MRS J.M MUYENGA REGULARLY immediately before working with food after using toilet after handling rubbish/waste after smoking, coughing, sneezing, using tissue, eating, drinking, smoking If hands are unclean, sanitizers are not effective. Sanitizers after touching hair or scalp do not replace hand washing for food operators! or mouth  GLOVES ARE NOT CLEANER MRS J.M MUYENGA THAN HANDS change gloves as often as you should wash your hands!  EDEN UNIVERSITY  Food handlers may act as carriers of contaminants during handling of food materials  Protective clothing should be used to reduce contamination through contact. This includes  Work Suit or Coat  Head Cover  Foot Wear  Beard Cover  Gloves  Face Mask PROTECTIVE CLOTHING  MRS J.M MUYENGA A SPECIAL DRESS CODE IS REQUIRED FOR cover hair EVERYONE WHO EVERYONE: ENTERS A FOOD- ✓ food handlers HANDLING AREA cover beards ✓ visitors ✓ management no jewelry ✓ contractors ✓ auditors clean shoes clean protective clothing  EDEN UNIVERSITY VISITORS All visitors to the factory must wear protective clothing All visitors to the factory must be medically screened All visitors must adhere to all hygiene requirements  MRS J.M MUYENGA If you want personnel to wear hairnets and visitors to comply with your cupboard with hygiene dress-code hairnets and coats you need to have coats and hairnets available at relevant entries to production areas. Depicted is a layout of a food producing factory with hairnets and coats correctly provided on the way in to the processing area.  MRS J.M MUYENGA FORBIDDEN BEHAVIOUR IN A FOOD-HANDLING ENVIRONMENT No sneezing into food. No eating, Personal items such as jewels, spitting, smoking, chewing gum or watches, radios and telephones tobacco near open food. are a source of contamination. They do not belong in areas of higher hygiene.  MRS J.M MUYENGA PERSONAL HYGIENE CAN ONLY EVER BEdirty AS GOOD facilities will lead to lower levels AS THE ofPROVIDED hygiene clean facilities improve hygiene FACILITIES behaviour  MRS J.M MUYENGA CHANGING ROOMS, TOILETS AND HAND-WASHING Without adequate FACILITIES MUST BE facilities personnel will not implement PROVIDED AND KEPT Office/ Canteen -18°C recommended CLEAN 3 hand-washing stations levels of personal Production Bottling hygiene. 4°C Depicted is a layout of a food Office/ producing factory Visitors changing room with adequate 2 toilets with sinks facilities that are HW Washing correctly Water-Prep. positioned.  EDEN UNIVERSITY Eating/chewing and drinking inside the factory are prohibited Smoking and tobacco usage is prohibited Jewelry and other personal items must not be worn inside the factory Spitting Sneezing or coughing PERSONAL BEHAVIOR  PERSONAL HYGIENE: MRS J.M MUYENGA PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1. Food handlers as a key element in the contamination paths of food 2. Behaviour patterns and facilities that improve food safety 3. Managing personal hygiene  PERSONAL HYGIENE IS A MANAGEMENT MRS J.M MUYENGA RESPONSIBILITY Financial means to provide facilities and resources (human and technical) to ensure GHP. Clear guidance about expected Management personnel hygiene behaviour is responsible (including how to deal with for providing sickness, absence due to sickness, disregard of hygiene rules, responsibilities, etc.) Hygiene culture through clear CULTURE commitment to GHP, visible support of QS personnel, requirement to adhere to hygiene rules for all hierarchy levels. ACTIVELY COMMUNICATE PERSONAL MRS J.M MUYENGA HYGIENE DIRECTIVES The importance of personal hygiene as one of the essential parts of a GMP programme has been explained in the module Introduction to Food Safety and Quality. Directives on personal hygiene must be documented. Documents should – be concise and instructive – contain clear control measures and responsibilities, – be distributed, and if necessary read, to all personnel (including management, administration) as well as to contractors and visitors (in a shortened version) Documentation must cover ways of dealing with every day challenges (i.e. compliance with protective clothing) as well as situations of emergency such as illness and accidents.  MRS J.M MUYENGA CONTROLLED ACCESS AND INSTANTLY VISIBLE In addition to documenting and communicating expected SIGNALLING hygienic behaviour the following measures SUPPORT of control to PERSONAL ensure compliance of staff, contractors HYGIENE and visitors with hygiene requirements are: BEHAVIOUR – controlled entry into food production sites – instructions and visible signalling throughout premises. HYGIENE MANAGEMENT OF PERSONNEL MRS J.M MUYENGA STARTS FROM DAY ONE Employee health status should be brought up at the point of employment. Inform new employee that sick food- handlers can transmit diseases to customers. Ask about: – last illness with diarrhea or vomiting – skin trouble anywhere on body – discharges from eye, ear, mouth – digestion problems – medical history re typhoid/paratyphoid Provide first hygiene training prior to uptake of work. ADEQUATE BEHAVIOR MUST BE TAUGHT MRS J.M MUYENGA AND CONTROLLED regular training sessions are necessary to create a stable level of personal hygiene in addition, regular controls are required to monitor the compliance with regulations TRAINING STARTS ON DAY ONE AND NEEDS MRS J.M MUYENGA REGULAR REPEATING frequent training will lead to high good hygiene date of hiring levels of personal hygiene repeat trainings infrequent training will lead to low levels of personal hygiene bad hygiene time  CORRECT PEOPLE BUT ALSO MRS J.M MUYENGA GIVE PRAISE Praise personnel when things are done correctly. This part tends to get forgotten and people tire of constantly being told what was done wrongly. A personal thank-you from a supervisor for correct behaviour works wonders.  PERSONAL HYGIENE IN FOOD MRS J.M MUYENGA PRODUCTION: CONCLUSIONS Humans shed microorganisms and can contaminate food through unhygienic behavior. Food handlers need to be aware of indirect paths of contamination. Washing hands is the most effective way to stop the spread of microorganisms. Hygienic behavior includes the wearing of clean protective clothing and avoiding activities such as eating near unprotected food products. Ill people must be prevented from handling food. Personal hygiene is a management responsibility and directives must be documented in a GMP programme. Personal hygiene can only ever be as good as the provided facilities. Hygienic behavior must be taught and controlled.