What is the personal hygiene & importance in the kitchen???

 PERSONAL HYGIENE AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE KITCHEN

As a food handler, one must ensure that the food provided to the customer is free of all of the above mentioned contaminants. Food handlers should remember that customers place great trust in them, and that carelessness on their part could make customers ill, or at times even lead to death.

 Our normal body temperature, which is around 37°C, is favourable for bacteria to dwell and grow. This is probably the source of most cases of food poisoning Personal hygiene should be important to everyone but to a food handler, it is of paramount importance.

 The food handler has a moral and legal responsibility of having good standards of personal hygiene. The bacteria on the human body are usually found on hands, ears, nose, mouth, throat, hair, and groin.

 One must wash hands after touching these areas, otherwise the pathogen will enter into the food and then with favourable conditions the bacteria will grow and multiply and will cause the risk of contamination.

The hands are the main medium through which bacteria are transferred to food. So one must ensure washing hands:

when first entering the kitchen

when coming back from a break

 after going to the toilet

after handling raw meat

before handling cooked meat

 after handling raw vegetables and other dirty food

 after handling garbage

after handling cleaning equipment-mop, buckets, clothes 

 after touching or blowing one's

 after touching one's hair

after licking one's fingers

 at regular intervals throughout the day

The above list can be endless. Hands should be washed in a basin meant for hand wash only and never in a sink. Always use hot water to wash hands and clean with a germicidal soap. Hands should be cleaned all around and between the fingers also. Use nail brushes, while cleaning the hands and apply a disinfectant to keep your hands free from germs.

One must keep the finger nails short as bacteria might grow in the dirt under the nails Nail varnish should not be worn as it may chip and contaminate food.

No jewellery (bracelets, watches, earrings, etc.) should be allowed in food areas, as they also harbour dirt and bacteria. One can wear an important ring such as a wedding ring on a chain around one's neck.

 In case of food poisoning it is always advisable to:

report one's illness to one's employer or supervisor, 

not handle food until given clearance to do so,

tell the doctor that one is a food handler, 

 get medical clearance to start work again.

Food safety is governed by strict food safety laws. Health inspectors can take food samples at random and in case, if a sample fails, prosecution can follow. Every food establishment is being Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certified. 

The first step is to form a HACCP team, who shall then identify any step in the activities of the food business which is critical to ensuring food safety and ensure that adequate safety procedures are identified, implemented, maintained and reviewed on the

basis of the following principles.

Analysis of the potential food hazards in a food business operation  

Identification of the points in those operations where food hazards may occur.

Deciding which of the points identified are critical to ensuring food safety (critical points)

 Identification and implementation of effective control and monitoring procedures at
those critical points. 

Review of the analysis of food hazards, the critical control points and the control and monitoring procedures periodically and whenever the food business's operations change.