Page 84 - FoodFocusThailand No.195 June 2022

STRONG QC & QA

Restrict or exclude ill food handlers from handling foods Food 2.2 When should food handlers wash their hands?
1 handlers' health should not be neglected because ill food handlers Answer In addition to proper handwashing technique,
could be a cause of pathogens' transmission to foods being produced. another important aspect that food handlers should recognize
Center for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. FDA identified 6 is to know when to wash their hands. The recommendation is
disease-causing microorganisms that can be transmitted easily from as follows.
food handlers and cause serious diseases. This group of pathogens is (1) When entering the food production area
referred to as the "Big 6" including Norovirus, Hepatitis A virus, Salmonella (2) Before wearing single-use gloves and changing to a
Typhi, Shigella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, and new pair of gloves
nontyphoidal Salmonella. This requires the restriction or exclusion system (3) Before preparing foods
to prevent the ill food handlers from directly working with foods and have (4) Before handling clean equipment or utensils used for
a strategy to report food handlers having a risk of transmitting pathogenic serving foods
microorganisms to foods. These examples of question-answer sets could (5) After touching body parts
be helpful for decision-making for the food business operator to prevent (6) After using the toilet
the transmission of disease from ill food handlers. (7) After coughing, sneezing, blowing the nose, smoking,
1.1 What are the specific symptoms that should be reported to eating, and drinking
a supervisor? (8) When switching tasks between handling raw food and
Answer Food handlers should be aware of the importance of RTE foods
reporting the specific illness symptoms and the potential (9) When performing any activities that potentially cause
exposure to pathogens to their supervisors in the following hand contamination, such as taking out the garbage,
situations. cleaning the food preparation area, and handling
(1) Vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, any chemicals used for cleaning and sanitizing.
exposed boils, open or infected wounds on the hands and (10) After touching animals
arms. 2.3 Where should food handlers wash their hands, and can
(2) Diagnosed illness that was caused by the Big 6 pathogens. hand sanitizers be used to replace adequate handwashing?
(3) Past illness with a typhoid-like fever within the past 3 months Answer Food handlers must wash their hands in the designated
unless receiving antibiotics for treatment. sink equipped with soap or detergent in a dispenser and a
(4) Have an exposure history to the Big 6 pathogens by hand-drying device for handwashing only. A hand sanitizer
consuming or handling foods that were implicated as a vehicle cannot replace handwashing; it can only be applied as an
of transmission of foodborne outbreaks. additional step to handwashing. However, it is essential to keep
Food handlers who have the aforementioned symptoms or potentially in mind that the sanitizing chemical may remain in the food
exposure to pathogens must be responsible to report to their supervisor handler's hands. Thus, its formulation must only contain safe
to decide to exclude or restrict those food handlers from performing tasks composition as the food handler's hand may potentially contact
that involve exposed foods depending on the reported symptoms. foods being produced, food contact surfaces, and equipment
1.2 What are exclusion and restriction? and utensil used for food production.
Answer Avoid bare hand contact with Ready-to-Eat foods Suppose
(1) Exclusion means food handlers are not permitted to work or 3 the hands of food handlers are highly contaminated. In that case,
enter the food handling areas, including where foods are handwashing alone might be insufficient to prevent the transmission of
received, prepared, produced, packaged, stored, transported, pathogens from hands to foods, especially the RTE foods that do not
and purchased. receive additional washing or heating before consumption, such as salad
(2) Restriction means food handlers are restricted from working and sandwiches. Thus, a bare hand should not contact RTE foods
activities that likely pose a risk of transmitting foodborne directly. Instead, clean utensils such as scoops, tongs, spoons, forks,
pathogens; therefore, tasks that involve contacting exposed and spatulas should be used for handling RTE foods. Food handlers
foods and equipment and tools used with foods must be should always wear single-use gloves if RTE foods are handled by
limited. hands. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that the use of
Washing hands with a proper technique Microorganisms single-use gloves is that contaminants that can contaminate food
2 and contaminants cannot move by themselves, but they contaminate handlers' hands can contaminate gloves. Hence, the situation that food
foods or food contact surfaces when humans, rats, or pests carry them. handlers consider that their hands should be washed, referring that a
The mobility of microorganisms and contaminants causes cross- new pair of gloves should be worn.
contamination. One way that cross-contamination could occur is by 3.1 How to appropriately use single-use gloves?
contacting foods with contaminated hands, especially Ready-to-Eat Answer
(RTE) foods that have a high-risk potential. Therefore, proper (1) Always wash hands before wearing single-use gloves.
handwashing is an important activity to effectively reduce the transmission (2) Wear single-use gloves for one specific task only.
of foodborne pathogens. These question-answer sets will guide food (3) Always change single-use gloves after exposing raw
handlers to be able to comply with an appropriate handwashing meat, poultry or fish.
requirement. (4) Always change single-use gloves when switching tasks
2.1 What is a proper handwashing procedure? or when the gloves become torn or regularly change
Answer The proper handwashing procedure are as follows. gloves every 4 hours if they are used continuously.
(1) Wash hands by running the warm water at a temperature of (5) When removing single-use gloves, grab the cuff part first
at least 38 degrees Celsius. (2) Apply soap and rub all and carefully remove gloves inside out before discarding
surfaces of hands and fingers vigorously for at least 10-15 them in the bin.
seconds. Areas under fingertips, between fingers or fingertips, (6) Wear single-use gloves at all times when handling RTE
and exposed arm should also be washed properly. (3) Rinse foods or garnishing or dividing food portions for selling.
thoroughly with warm, running water and (4) Wipe hands and (7) If there are cuts or infected wounds on the hands of food
arms with a paper towel until dry. Alternatively, a heated-air handlers, they should always be covered with a proper
hand-drying device or a clean, unused towel could be used bandage and wear single-use gloves over.
to dry hands. (8) If single-use gloves are torn or leaked, food handlers
must change them and wear a new pair of gloves.
(9) Do not wash or reuse single-use gloves.

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