In an office environment, poor personal hygiene often conjures up images of somebody with bad breath or body odour. It’s unpleasant for co-workers rather than life-threatening to anybody. In a food manufacturing or catering environment, on the other hand, good personal hygiene is an absolutely vital ingredient in the quest to produce safe food.
Proper personal hygiene practices help to prevent the transmission of harmful pathogens such as E. coli O157 and O145. In 2004, E. coli was found to be present in pre-packed supermarket sandwiches which made 287 people sick and hospitalised 122. It also caused haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in 7 people, which damages blood vessels in the kidneys, and resulted in 1 death.
Pre-packed sandwiches were also the cause of 7 deaths in 2019 when they were served to hospital patients. It transpired that they had been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which thrives in chilled ready-to-eat foods.
Shigella, spread via poor hand hygiene at a kebab house in Abergavenny, was responsible for making 50 people ill in 2023. It also triggered lifelong health issues in a young boy.
There are several other regular instances of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Salmonella, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus every year, some more severe than others. These are often the result of unsuitable handwashing or cross-contamination.
Personal hygiene is a basic Food safety Requirement
It’s therefore imperative that anyone working with food is trained to at least a basic level in food safety and hygiene. A fundamental component is personal hygiene, which should cover the following:
Handwashing
The above examples demonstrate that something as simple as not washing hands properly (or at all!) can cause serious illness or death. Effective handwashing is absolutely key in preventing contamination. Hands should always be washed before handling food, after sneezing, after visiting the toilet and after handling raw ingredients.
Correct Clothing
Clothing appropriate to the job should be worn. For example, coveralls with integral poppers (not buttons, press studs or Velcro fastenings), aprons, gloves, hairnets covering all hair and beard snoods if appropriate. Safety shoes covering all of the foot. Outdoor clothing should be changed out of, and clean PPE put on in a designated room before entering food production and processing areas.
Jewellery
Beyond the invisible threat of microbes, jewellery also presents a physical hazard and could cause choking if it falls into food products. Earrings, rings, bracelets, watches, necklaces, hair clips, piercings etc. must be removed. In most cases a plain wedding band is permissible.
Fingernails
These must be kept short so that they can be cleaned easily. False nails, long nails and nail polish/nail art should not be permitted. Equally, false eyelashes must not be worn since they could fall into product.
Perfumes
Perfumes, aftershaves, hand lotions etc. have the potential to taint food and affect the quality or taste. Therefore, they should not be worn in a food production facility.
Cuts and grazes
Any cuts, grazes or similar should be covered with a clean blue waterproof plaster. Flesh coloured plasters are not appropriate as they cannot be identified as easily if they make their way into food. Many blue plasters used in food environments also contain a metal-detectable strip.
Illness
Employees who have illnesses such as sickness or diarrhoea, septic boils or cuts, typhoid, dysentery, ear or eye infections should not work with food until they are 48 hours clear. They should also notify their manager if they have family members who are suffering from sickness, diarrhoea or food poisoning.
Protecting the public and your own reputation
A personal hygiene breach which might seem insignificant could have far-reaching effects, especially on the more vulnerable members of society. Babies and young children as well as pregnant women, the elderly and those recovering from illness are more likely to be affected than a healthy 30-year-old for example.
Not only can poor personal hygiene practices lead to illness and even death, it can destroy a company’s reputation and bring huge financial penalties.
It is a legal requirement that all food handlers are supervised, instructed, or trained in food hygiene matters appropriate to their work activities, but it must not be seen as a box-ticking exercise. It must be practised at all times to help ensure that food is safe for public consumption.