Wash Those Hands!

We expect the food we buy to be appealing, nutritious, and free of contaminants. Because of the global and complex food industry, products from a single processor can reach vast numbers of consumers, which is why distributing a potentially harmful product could produce far-reaching and disastrous results. To maintain one’s status in a highly specialized and competitive market, it is imperative for food processors to detect and prevent product adulteration. It is regrettable, but true, that a significant source of food product contamination may result from food plant employees. For this reason, your role in developing good personal hygiene habits is essential in maintaining product purity.
 
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT. Employees must use their hands at work. In some operations, food products need to be manipulated by hand. If hands contact soiled objects or conditions where they are contaminated, they may become the most frequent source of product contamination. Throughout the day, your actions can cause microorganisms to contaminate your hands and leave you totally unaware. Reacting to a sneeze, blowing your nose, scratching your head, or combing through your hair can leave bacteria on your fingers. Emptying a trash container, moving pallets, or restacking cases soils your hands. In operations where food products or food-contact surfaces are manipulated by hand, reduction or elimination of microbes and soil is even more significant.

We have all heard the nursery song, “This is the way to wash our hands”, but as food industry employees have we really thought about how to wash our hands? Before learning how to wash our hands it’s best to know why. The FDA considers a food to be adulterated if it has been prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary conditions whereby it may have been contaminated with fifth or become injurious to health. Also, the GMPs indicate that thoroughly washing and sanitizing hands before starting work, after each absence form the work station, and any other time when the hands may have become soiled or contaminated is required. Washing your hands is a simple, but important step to prevent contamination of food or food products.

Soap and warm water must be used to wash hands. Soap displaces the soil and breaks down the bacteria and water rinses the soil and bacteria away. Be sure to thoroughly wash the front and back of each hand and include the fingernails, using a brush if possible. The recommended time for hand washing is 30 seconds.

Once your hands have been washed, proper drying is essential. Various hand drying devices, such as cloth towels, warm air blowers, and paper towel dispensers, are available. Paper towels are usually preferred because they prevent microbiological contaminants from being passed from one employee to another.

Once your hands are adequately cleaned and dried, take steps to avoid recontamination, especially if you work closely with product or ingredients. Several options are available to prevent recontamination such as foot-, knee-, or sensor-activated faucets, hand-free towel dispensers, and automatic entry doors.

CONCLUSION. It is apparent that employee hygiene is one of the keys to successful compliance to the GMPs. Perhaps more than any other factor, your actions, habits, and attitude directly affect the sanitation and purity of the operation. If a company wants to achieve its sanitary goals it must rely on well-trained employees and support from management. Employees learn proper hand washing techniques through drawings, posters, and demonstrations. Train employees and evaluate them to ensure policy compliance. AIB

The author is a Food Safety Auditor at AIB International.