Page 47 - FoodFocusThailand No.169 April 2020

STRONG QC & QA

the scientific literature for new and relevant the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and FDACS recommend the following food
information. safety tips for consumers:
Regarding food safety, the World Health • Wash your hands often when cooking, including: before, during, and after preparing
Organization (WHO) has issued precautionary any food; after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs; before eating; after touching
recommendations including advice on garbage; after wiping counters or cleaning surfaces with chemicals; after touching pets, pet
following good hygiene practices during food food, or pet treats; and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
handling and preparation, such as washing • Wash your hands even when wearing gloves, as contaminated gloves can spread
hands, cooking meat thoroughly and avoiding germs to your hands when removing the gloves.
potential cross-contamination between cooked • Disinfect and dry commonly-used surfaces such as countertops and cutting boards,
and uncooked foods.
“One of the most important preventive as dampness can help remaining viruses survive and multiply.
measures for mitigating viral and food-borne • Use disposable cloths or paper towels when possible, or wash reusable cloths at 140
illness while working with food is to wash hands degrees Fahrenheit after each use.
with soap and water frequently, in-between the
handling of raw and uncooked foods, and
before handling any food,” said Dr. Matthew
Curran, FDACS Director of Food Safety.
“Today, it is as important as ever to utilize good
handwashing and sanitization techniques not
only in the home but also in the workplace.”
“While there is currently no evidence that
COVID-19 is transmitted to people via food in
the United States, the virus should be killed
by normal cooking temperatures,” said Dr. Lisa
Conti, FDACS Chief Science Officer. “As a
general public safety rule, we do not
recommend that people consume raw meat
or unpasteurized dairy products.”
For Retailers/Food Establishments:
FDACS is reminding these businesses of the
following requirements (Rule 5K-4.002, Florida
Administrative Code and FDA Food Code) to
ensure food safety and reduce the spread of
respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19:
• Food preparers must keep hands and
arms clean, and follow cleaning procedures
including washing at least 20 seconds with
hand cleaner and rinsing under warm running
water.
• When to wash includes: after touching
body parts; after using the restroom; after
caring for animals; after coughing, sneezing,
or using tissue; after using tobacco; after eating
or drinking; after handling soiled equipment
during food preparation; after handling raw
food and working with ready to eat food; before
donning gloves; and after any other activity
that contaminates hands. (Chapter 2-301)
• There is required to be at least one hand
washing sink (Chapter 5-203), that
handwashing sink must be convenient to
employees and or immediately adjacent to
toilet rooms (Chapter 5-204), and handwashing
supplies such as hand soap and cleanser and
drying devices such as towels or heated air
devices for handwashing sinks are required
to be present (Chapter 6-301).

For Consumers:
Studies have shown that human coronaviruses
can persist on inanimate surfaces like plastic,
glass, or metal for up to nine days. Therefore,

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