Food Handler Health and Hygiene

Food Handler Health and Hygiene: What You Need to Know

Food safety is a critical aspect of maintaining good health. One of the most important factors in ensuring food safety is the health and hygiene of food handlers. Food handlers are individuals who work in the food service industry and are responsible for preparing, cooking, and serving food.

According to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, food handlers must follow strict health and hygiene guidelines to prevent the spread of foodborne illness ¹. Here are some of the key guidelines:

1. Handwashing: Food handlers must wash their hands frequently and thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food ¹.
2. Personal hygiene: Food handlers must maintain good personal hygiene by keeping their hair tied back, wearing clean clothing, and avoiding touching their face, hair, or body while handling food ¹.
3. Illness reporting: Food handlers must report any illness to their supervisor immediately and avoid handling food until they are symptom-free ¹.
4. Food handling practices: Food handlers must follow safe food handling practices, such as using separate cutting boards for raw meat and cooked food, cooking food to the appropriate temperature, and storing food at the correct temperature ¹.

In addition to these guidelines, Food Safe BC offers a comprehensive food safety training program called FOODSAFE. This program is designed to provide food handlers with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure food safety in the workplace ². FOODSAFE Level 1 is a food-handling, sanitation, and work safety course designed for frontline foodservice workers such as cooks, servers, bus-persons, dishwashers, and deli workers ². FOODSAFE Level 2 is designed for food service owners and managers, kitchen managers, executive chefs, and others who are responsible for managing food safety in the food service environment ².

By following these guidelines and completing the FOODSAFE training program, food handlers can help prevent foodborne illness and keep themselves and their customers healthy.