Dirty gloves, hands, and aprons are . . .

Tip #5 - Personal Hygiene is key!!! You are a source of cross-contamination!!! Yeah! That’s right! So, when deli associates fail to keep a sound personal hygiene practice, which means: wearing a clean uniform and apron, changing gloves frequently, washing hands after using the restroom, or washing hands before and after putting on sterile gloves, for instance. You can transfer pathogens from yourself to the food and from one food to another. Dirty gloves, hands, and aprons are all potential ways to cross-contaminate foods. Phil Lempert’s research report shows that customers observed the associate’s hygiene posture, and 55,1% noted when food handlers changed gloves or washed hands in between tasks. Of course, washing hands is just the tip of the iceberg. IDDBA recommends that food handlers: ✓Stay home if sick, as they can cross-contaminate food. ✓Wear hair restrainers. ✓Wash hands after a smoke break; ✓Wear clean uniforms and avoid wiping hands on them. ✓Change gloves frequently. Watch this video from the IDDBA on personal hygiene; you can watch it from 3:45 to 5:11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac9-J5e9w_s&ab_channel=InternationalDairyDeliBakeryAssociation

Practice good personal hygiene. Wash hands, change gloves and switch to a clean apron or uniform as needed. Personal hygiene means safety and customer satisfaction.

Source: Safe Food Matters - Handwashing on iddba.org. Photo by Benzoix on Freepik by KamranAydinov.