WHAT ARE THE PERSONAL HYGIENE PRACTICES THAT SHOULD BE ADHERE IN FOOD PREMISE

Every food handler plays an important role in practicing food hygiene in food premise. This is because food handlers are likely to touch food and/or food contact surface frequently in the work place and so they have to maintain correct personal hygiene habits in order to avoid food contamination. If customers consumed contaminated food, they would suffer food poisoning, which lead business loss and influencing the business impression.

Food handler team handle all kind of works in the food premise.  So, every one of them must understand the correct food handling concept so that they can do the work correctly.  The very first point is to make sure food handlers themselves healthy and clean (the physical appearance).  Every food handler should take anti-typhoid vaccination and attending food handlers training course before joining the food company.   The 3-hour training might not really give a strong foundation to the food handlers, but they would learn all the DOs and DON’Ts in the food premise. 

 

When food handlers are commencing work, it is advisable that every food handler to practise food handling concepts they had learned in Food Handlers Training Course.   they have to familiarize the correct food handling practices and make them as a habit.  Practice makes perfects.  When food handlers build the good habit, they will automatically take care the food hygiene very well.

 

Before food handler enters food premise, it is good that every food handler to have a self-check on their health status.  As during the period of Movement Control Operation, every food handler is required to screen their body temperature with the prepared thermometers and applying sanitizers.  Food handler who didn’t feel good or having high temperature (>37.5^oC) is not allowed to work.  And food handlers who has contagious disease (eg flu) is also not allowed to handle food.  They should take medication and only allowed to handle food when they are recovered.

 

Food handlers should not wear accessories (ear rings, watch, neck lace etc， including handphone) and cosmetic (lipstick, fingernail oil, lotion, make ups etc) to work.  They must wear clean and light-colored uniform or attire (head cover, face mask and apron), and also covered shoe. Before entering food premise, Food handlers can check if they have long fingernails. If they are, the food handler has to cut the nails before entering the food premise.  After food handlers had checked their wearing, they must proceed to wash their hands before starting to handling food.  In food processing factory / workshop, hand washing station is constructed outside the processing area entrance, where food handlers would wash hands before entering food processing area.    

 

There are some bad practices that food handlers must avoid when they are preparing food.  For instance, coughing on the food would allowing microbe in the body to contaminate the food easily, touching the food with bare hands would allowing the biological contaminant on hand is transferring to the food (cross-contamination), holding money while wearing glove would contaminate the glove and eventually contaminating the food afterwards.  Many more. Food handlers would learn about the poor practices what could contaminate food.

   

Maintaining good personal hygiene is every food handler’ responsibility as by doing so, the food handler team would prevent food contamination which lead to food poisoning to the customers.   

HOW TO PREVENT FOOD POISONING?

According to World Health Organization (WHO), there are 1 out of 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food and about 420 thousand people die every year due to food borne disease.  Food poisoning can be dreadful.  People have abdomen cramp, fever, vomit, diarrhea and other signs when they have food poisoning.  And when food poisoning severity is higher, the patient could lose their life. Thus, food handlers play important roles to prevent food contamination.      

Personal Hygiene and behaviour of food handlers  

Food handler with poor personal hygiene could contaminate food. Possess long finger nails, wearing accessories, applying cosmetic, not wearing proper attire, having flu, have wound in hands and so on are some poor personal hygiene that food handlers shouldn’t have / do while they are preparing or serving food. Besides, the mis-behaviour of food handlers such as tasting food with fingers, touching food with bare hands, coughing directly to food, smoking and digging nose while serving food would also resulting food contamination. Therefore, food handlers must learn to practice good personal hygiene and food handling to avoid food contamination. 

Raw food inspection

Food handlers must use fresh and hygiene raw material to cook or process into product.  Good quality of raw material does not have much contaminant and so it reduces the possibility of contamination or bacterial growth on food.  Food handlers must check the quality of every incoming raw material or during procurement.  Only good quality of raw material can be used to cook / process food.  Food handler also need to check the can food properly before procurement. Do not use can food with dirty and corrosion on the can surface, not to use the tented and swelling can as those are the signs of can food contamination.

Cleanliness of equipment

Equipment should be checked if there are damages, crevices and crack. Food handlers should always use good condition equipment in order to avoid the accumulation of contaminant which encourage the growth of bacteria.  The broken pieces of equipment might also contaminate the food and hurt the internal organs when customer accidentally swallow the physical contaminant. 

Avoid cross contamination

Cross contamination occurs when there is contaminant, usually bacteria transfer from one object / food to another. Food handler could observe if it occurred during handling food. For instance, the handling for raw and cooked food in the same equipment set, or the handling of high-risk food (meat and seafood) and other food in the same set of equipment, chemical are mis-place adjacent to food etc. When there is a possibility of cross contamination, food handler should separate the handling or food from another.    

 

Food temperature and storage

When food temperature is in between 5 – 63oC, the bacteria in the food could multiply in every 20-30 minutes. The survival of bacteria in long period would resulting the excretion of toxin which would spoil the food.  Thus, food handlers should plan the food handling properly, such as how to defrost, when to cook, where to keep, how to store, when to deliver, how to deliver and so on.       

    

Prevention of pest and animals 

Pest and animals bring varies of contaminants, including bacteria. Those contaminants would contaminate premise, equipment and food.  Thus, food handlers should prevent pest and animals from entering the food premise.  Food handlers should always make sure the premise is clean so that there is no “food” to attract the pest and animals.   

Use clean water source

Food handlers to use clean water source (from government water).  It is better that the incoming water is passing through a filtration system so that it is save and free from hazardous bacteria. Contaminated or untreated water contains various of bacteria, heavy metals and chemical that could contaminate the food.

Waste management 

The food handler team should make sure the waste is managed well so that there is no waste in or outside of premise that could attract pest and animals. I was once passed by a night market and saw food waste is thrown on the floor. Even the waste is kept into plastic bag, but very quickly the plastic bag is teared by dogs as the sting smell attracts the animal. The sting smell could also attract pest like mouse and giant lizards. 

The correct food handling practice helps food business owners to maintain the business operation.  When every food handler is competent in food handling, the food safety measures would be maintained and business owners would have a peace of mind every day and focus on the food business.

3+1 DOCUMENTS THAT MALAYSIA FOOD BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD HAVE

Food business is always a demanding industry as food is a basic needs for everybody.   Before starting a food business, Malaysia food business owners ought to know the documents that Health inspectors would inspect during premise inspection. Even when you are running a food business, you should make sure the documents are maintained up-to-date.
 

Food Business Owner who had a premise should  register his food premise in Food Safety Information of Malaysia (FOSIM).  The definition of food premise including premise that  
 
1. premise that involved in manufacturing of food.
2. premise that catering or mass catering of food.
3. premise that food is prepared, processed, stored or serve for sales.
4. vehicles from which ready-to-eat food is sold.
 
Firstly, the premise owner can register as a FOSIM user. Next is to key in company information and follow by keying in the premise information. When all information is updated and submitted, a premise registration slip would be generated in PDF form in 5 second. Very easy.  Applicant can print out the slip, frame it and hang it in the premise where can be seen easily. Remember to prepare IC and trading license's softcopy before applying it.  The registration should be renewed every 3 years. When doing the renewal, applicant just need to update premise registration.  So far, Health department does not charge fee on premise registration.
 

Each food handlers should obtain Food Handlers Training certificates by attending a 3-hours Food Handlers Training course.  There are 2 training mode of the course - Face-to-face and online class.  Food handlers are free to choose either one of the training mode with the same price.  Anyway, we would recommend ONLINE course as it is more convenience. Food handlers can choose any time and any in-house places (the pre-requisite is the environment should be quiet) to attend the online course.  After the course, a soft-copy of the certificate will be sent to every food handler or the company PIC and we will courier the hard-copy the next day.  Isn’t it convenient? Should you like it, kindly register to lock your seat (as only 15 seats is available for a class...)
 

Each food Handlers should also have Anti-Typhoid Vaccination document.  The document should contain not lesser than followings
 
1. Food Handler’s detail
2. Anti-Typhoid Vaccination detail
3. Vaccination date
4. Next vaccination date
5. Doctor’s chop and signature
 
Normally the vaccine efficiency is 3 years. Bring the vaccination document from Doctor after vaccination and keep the card in food premise.
 

If you are food processor, you ought to have a minimum Food Safety Assurance Program to assure your products are produced in accordance to the requirement of every food safety elements.  The program should be documented and implemented at all time. External audits would be held periodically to ensure the program is implemented correctly and efficiently.  The basic program that food processor can start with is Makanan Selamat Tanggungjawab Industri (MeSTI).  This program contains minimum food safety requirement such as Infrastructure design, sanitation and maintenance, food handlers, training, raw material control, processing control, packaging control, finish product storage control, chemistry control, transport and distribution control and traceability control.  
 
The food safety personnel would create standard operation procedures based on actual food processor practices and the food safety requirement.  Checklist would be used for food handler to do routine check on the food processing practice.  Third party document such as test reports, calibration reports, Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) would be needed to support the food safety program.  
 
Both food business owners and food handlers should take the responsbility to obtain the 3+1 documents (only food processors need MeSTI certificate). Failing to have those documents could result penalties or imprisonment based on the regulation 3-7, 9-10, 30 & 31 of Food Hygiene Regulations 2009.  Thus, food business owners ought to pay attention on this matter.
 
 
Jacky Chung

FHC Trainer

JACKYZ SOLUTION

 

HOW TO PREVENT CHEMICAL FROM CONTAMINATING FOOD?

Chemical contamination on food is one of the hazards that would lead to food poisoning and / or resulting human health problem.  We might overlook that our daily used chemical that is available in the food premise is a prime culprit in food contamination. This would resulting acute or chronic health problem in customers. Therefore, food handlers must prevent chemical contamination on food.
 
It always starts from food handler’s mindset.  Food handler must practise good personal hygiene. Nail polish shouldn’t be used while handling food as the chemical could be removed while washing food and contaminating the food.  The cosmetics could be brought with body sweats and contaminating food.  Supervisors or QCs could provide frequent training, especially to new workers.  The personnel could initiate routine check on every food handler before they are entering food premise. When the managerial level is emphasizing to adhere the strict requirement all the time, the food safety culture would be maintained.
 

Do isolate any chemical from where the food is the food premise. Chemical such lubricant, diesel, pesticide, detergent and so on should be kept outside of the food processing, food serving or food preparation area.  All chemical must be stored in a chemical room. The room must be ventilated and away from food premise.  Only designated personnel are allowed to take chemical from the chemical room and distribute to the area in need.  Food handlers should ensure that the usage of chemical does not contaminating food.   Therefore, the place of washing equipment and utensils should be away from the food preparation or food serving area. And the cleaning or pesticide spraying activities should be done only after the food operation to avoid the contamination to the food.
 
All chemical must be in good packaging, no spillage or broken. QCs or personnel-in-charge must check in-coming chemical, before allowing the chemical to be put in the chemical room.  If there is a need to dilute the chemical, the personnel must dilute according to the instruction in label. The diluted chemical must be kept in containers and labelled.  Never use the used food container to store chemical or using used chemical container to store food.
 
Food handlers must check the raw food if it’s clean and free from contamination by any form of chemical before receiving the raw material for food preparation.  The contaminated raw food should be returned to supplier. While preparing food.  Food handler should not use chemical such as liquid paper, ink that might contaminating the food.
 
Prevention of chemical contamination would not only avoid food poisoning, but through the precautious practices, food business owner would avoid food wastage.  Therefore, routine training to food handlers should be done to remind food handlers about the prevention of chemical contamination on food.          

HOW TO PREVENT PEST INFESTATION AT FOOD PREMISE?

Pest is a carrier of food-borne disease pathogen.  They can contaminate the food and food contact surface which is then causing food poisoning.  Thus, food handlers must prevent pest infestation at their food premise.  The pest controlling in food premise is not just setting traps or bait.  There are basic routine tasks that should be maintained every day.   

Food handlers must clean the food premise adequately.  After business hours, food handlers should initiate a thorough cleaning on the premise for removing food scrap (left by customers) or other waste.  It is good to check the cleanliness before leaving the food premise. Food should be stored or covered properly. Food spillage due to improper food storing would attract pest easily.  Wash the equipment as soon as possible after customers leave or after the production works (for food processing factory).

While cleaning the food premise and washing the equipment, food handlers should put the waste and food scrap into rubbish bags, tie and throw it in waste bin.  It is a hygienic practice to use foot-activated waste bin.  Food handlers should make sure that the waste bin is enclosed tightly all the time.  The waste must be thrown outside the food premise in a bigger waste bin every day.  And, the bigger waste bin should be closed properly too to avoid sting smell that could attract pests, such as cockroaches, mouse, lizard. 

We could prevent pest from entering premise by sealing all the gaps.  For instance, installing strong wire mesh on the drainage exit could prevent mouse from entering the premise. Floor traps, gullies and downpipes should be covered with grating.  Food handler must ensure the food premise (especially before leaving the premise) that any gaps, holes and crevices on the wall, ceiling or floor are covered and sealed. For food processing workshop or factory, food business owner can install self-closing doors, air curtains or plastic sheets at the entrance to food preparation area and ensure all doors are always closed.  

While inspecting food premise, food handlers could also check if there are “dead spaces” or unused containers, equipment or machines still available in the food premise. Manage the stuff storage, throw out the unused stuffs would help preventing pest infestations.  Pest would gather in such stuff and reproduce.  Besides, do arrange frequent housekeeping on this place too. 

Quality Control in food processing factory must ensure all incoming raw material, equipment, machineries, chemicals and packaging material are free from any pest, before permitting to moved into food processing area.  Food factory has ample space and so pest control program should be implemented to avoid pest infestation. 

The presence of pest would contaminate food and spreading disease, which then resulting food damage and food poisoning. When this is happening, Food business owner would have to bear the revenue loss and perhaps the legal penalty incurred by Health Department officers. Therefore, steps to prevent pest infestation must be strictly implemented.  

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HOW TO PREVENT FOOD CONTAMINATION BY BACTERIA?

There are good and bad bacteria.  People utilize good bacteria to produce healthy food.  Bad bacteria contaminate food via many ways. So, food handler should initiate appropriate practices to prevent bacteria from contaminating food.
 
Every food handler ought to maintain personal hygiene all the time.  They should wear appropriate PPE to prevent bacteria and other contaminant to contaminate food. Food handlers also ought to have good practice and knowing the Do and Don’t while handling food. Food handlers should also avoid handling food when they have infectious diseases such as flu and had wound on hand.
 
Food handlers should use clean equipment to handle food.  However, they must check if the equipment is in good condition before using them.  They have to make sure every equipment is washed and dried probably. But they cannot use dirty towel to dry the equipment.  Food handlers must prepare additional set of equipment when handling 2 different kinds of food (high risk food and normal food, raw and cooked food) in the same time. They have to pick only good quality raw food and store them separately from the cooked food.   
 
Food handler should make sure the enclosed premise (like restaurant, café, canteen) does not have holes or crevices to prevent any pest from entering the premise.  Always close the food, or keep the food in an enclosed container to avoid pest and other contaminant to contaminate the food.  Strictly prevent animals from entering the premise too as there are bacteria stays on any animal body.
 
Foot-activated waste bin should be used rather than the normal waste bin.  The earlier waster bin does not require hand touch on the waste bin cover, thus reduce the chances of contamination on hands. However, food handlers must wash hands after handling waste. Each day, the waste should be thrown into a bigger waste collection centre. Keep the waste bin closed and do not allowing the waste being kept in waste bin for more than a day.  Pest could be attracted by the sting smell of the waste.  The filled plastic bag (with waste) should be tied and managed properly to avoid pest infestation.  Do take care the cleanliness outside the premise as the dirty environment could attract pest and to enter the premise. 
 
Raw and cooked food should be kept and handled probably.  They should control the food’s bacteria load by controlling the food temperature and the cooking time. Before cooking the food, practise appropriate thawing so that the raw material is thawed thoroughly.  On delivery, if the food is stored with temperature, food handler should arrange so that the food is delivered with the designated temperature, to prevent the food from spoiled.
 
When we know how bacteria grow, we will know how to plan on food handling to avoid bacteria grow on food.  What are your practices to prevent bacteria from contaminating your food?  Welcome to drop some lines in the comment for us to learn together.      
 
 
 
 

HOW WOULD BACTERIA CONTAMINATING FOOD?

Everybody loves to enjoy food.  Consuming food is not only to fill the stomach but also to generate good emotion and energy to faces challenges throughout a day.  Customer felt satisfactory when they consumed fresh, cooked and delicious food. Nevertheless, it is a nightmare if one had contaminated food that brought to food poisoning. There are many reasons that causing food poisoning.  One of the reasons is the contamination by bacteria.

Bacteria can live anywhere with the right conditions.  Bacteria could stay on food handler. If food handlers do not practicing personal hygiene, very likely the bacteria would contaminate the food during food handling. A person’s ears, nose and mouth contain bacteria. The bacteria from such organs could transmit to hands if food handlers touch the organs. And when they continue to handle food, the food could be contaminated. Coughing and sneezing near food would also allowing bacteria of the body to contaminate food. 

    
Another source of bacteria is at our hair. It contains bacteria and would contaminate food when it is fall on the food. Besides, look at our hands. We touch many things around us and therefore, everybody’s hands have many bacteria. The bacteria load is more if there are wounds on hand.  When food handlers do not wash hand before handling food or do not wash hands after visiting toilet but continue to handling food, the food would definitely be contaminated.

Animal carries dust, dirt and bacteria on bodies. When animals are entering the food premise, it will contaminate the premise, the equipment and the food. When birds able to enter a food premise, there is a possibility that the animal could release the feaces on the food. Pest like mouse, flies and cockroaches would bring bacteria to contaminate the food premise. So, food handlers should do pest control outside the premise.

Solid or Liquid waste in the food premise contains bacteria. the stinged smell would attract more pest and animal.  I remember sometimes ago when I visited a night market, I saw bags of solid waste that are put beside the road.  And, it just about half an hour time, they are dogs attracted by the waste, perhaps the smell. The dogs teared the waste plastic to find food.  The solid waste is spilled out and the smell is getting stronger. I bet mouse might be attracted to the spot soon. When they are pest infestation outside a food premise, it is likely too the pest would enter the premise through holes and crevices.  Always remember that pest bring bacteria and contaminating food premise. 

There are many contaminants in open air. Bacteria could flow by winds and contaminate food easily when the food is not covered.  Night market food sellers should cover their food when they are serving the food on table, waiting to be sold.  Covering the food would also preventing the food from pest contamination, especially when the food had good smell, like seafood, salt fish etc. 

Unclean water (water source from river, well or rain) contains and high-risk food (Raw food with high water content) such as seafood, meat and dairy products contains many hazardous bacteria. Thus, food handlers must use clean water and to handler high-risk food properly. Bacteria at high-risk food could contaminate cooked food easily if they not handled properly. 

Contamination by bacteria is very much affecting food business.  Food handlers have to implement food hygiene and proper food handling to avoid the contamination by bacteria on food.  

WHAT DOES BACTERIA LIKES?

Bacteria is everywhere. We have to live with bacteria everyday. Good bacteria improve our health while bad bacteria cause us food poisoning. Bacteria stick on our hair, face, hands, shirts and trousers.  So, food handlers should how to prevent bacteria from contaminating the food they prepare. Knowing how bacteria grow would help us to control bacteria quantity in our food premise.

Bacteria consume nutrient from any source. So, leftover food or food debris on equipment and food premise could be consumed by bacteria. Food with high protein and high-water content is the best source that bacteria would actively grow on it. We call these kinds of food as high-risk foods.  The example of high-risk food are eggs and egg products, seafood and seafood products, meat, dairy products and ready-to-eat food.  Therefore, food handlers should handle these products in hygienic and cook them thoroughly before serving. 

Bacteria grow optimally in 37^oC (body temperature).  In fact, bacteria start to grow actively from the range of 5^oC to 63^oC at any source with nutrient.  We should not keep, especially high-risk food in this temperature range for a long time.      We can keep the food at 4^oC and below or we can cook the food thoroughly in order to kill bacteria in food. When food had to be served for a long time, we can install heating system, which continuously heating the food above 63^oC.

When bacteria in the condition of danger temperature zone for a long time, bacteria will grow rapidly.  In normal condition, bacteria would double the quantity in every 20-30 minutes. How many would it be?  You might not believe it… One (1) bacterium can split to 1 million bacteria in 6 hours!  And, that is only 1 bacterium. Imagine that! So, do not keep food for so long.  It’s better to serve the food to customer as soon as the food is ready.

Bacteria grow in food and any places with high water content.  Equipment and facilities need to be washed thoroughly and dried. All dry equipment should be kept at dry place.  After handling food, food handlers should clean the food premise before going home.

Bacteria growth could be controlled when food handlers implement appropriate food hygiene practices.  The lesser the (bad) bacteria in food, the safer the food to be consumed by our customers.                

WHY SHOULD YOU (YOUR TEAM) ATTEND FOOD HANDLERS TRAINING COURSE?

“Hi Boss, when there is FHC?
“Hi, please click on the link and find our latest schedule”
“ooo okok. How much is it?”
“It’s RM50/person”
“Boss can I ask…”

When I read these texts, I can roughly guess what next questions would be. Yeah! Occasionally I saw inquiries such as “Can I just pay for it (without attending the course)?”, “Can I ask somebody else to attend on behalf of me because I am busy BAHHHH..”, “Online izzit? Can I switch off the video during the class?” Well, frankly speaking, I was not really happy to answer these questions.  For me, those are words of disrespect to my profession.  

Over these years, sometimes I was trying to figure out why food handlers are reluctant to attend course. Through my observation, I received feedbacks such as food handlers busying on food business (no time), course duration is too long, food handlers do not like to attend training, do not know how to use ZOOM and google form due to aged or uneducated. Couple of years ago, I visited restaurants, cafeteria and food kiosks, giving leaflet to the food premise’s person-in-charge, trying to promote Food Handlers Training course.  There is a boss complained to me – “It is a waste of time to arrange staff to attend course because after they attend it and work for a while, they quit the job!” 

Well, I know most of us think that attending Food Handlers Training Course is to obtain the certificate in order to pass future inspection.  Yes. This is one of the purposes indeed. But, let’s think about your purpose of hiring employees. What is the purpose to hire food handlers in your food business? I bet the answers of all bosses are the same – to buy other people’s time to build your food business.  Business owners expect every food handler to handle the food efficiently and also in hygienic way so that business is sustainable and growing. In other word, business owners would like to “photocopy” many competent personnel to run the food business. 

Therefore, training is crucial to educate food handler to handle food correctly in order to avoid customers from food poisoning.  The 3-hours Food Handlers Training course would enlighten food handlers the correct food handling concepts and they could start practising them in the workplace.  When your food handlers are familiar with good food handling practice, they would automatically be taking care of the food hygiene and food safety, which would help smoothen your food business operation. Would you agree? 

Training is also giving a reminder for certain food handlers who might had known the right food handling practice.  I had student who had attended Food handlers Training course years ago. Some student attended the course at other school, some lost their certificate. They are willing to retake. I also ever trained student with old age. Although they do not know how to use ZOOM and google form, yet they still willing to attend online course. Some student seeks assistance of their family member, some insist to learn by themselves on how to access online learning. They asked many questions, feeling embarrassed.   I replied: “it’s OK aunty!” and replied all their questions patiently. I am also ever trained a student with dysaudia. Her spouse is assisting her diligently in the whole 3-hours class.  These students completed their training. When I announced that he training is over. They are so happy. For them, they are completing a task which they ever do in their life. I was touched by their spirit. And, I am proud of my carrier.

I met a competent food handler couple of days ago when I passed by a food truck near a hypermarket. He is promoting his company’s new food product. I was initially attracted by the new product launched by the well-known company.  So, I approached the truck and the food handler is about to prepare some food sample for pedestrian to test.    While waiting the food sample to be ready, I had a simple chit chat with the him. He is proud with his job. He wore head cover, face mask, gloves, and aprons while preparing the food. He said it is his company’s policy to make sure food safety, so they must wear correct attire while preparing food.  And the company arranged formal training to every food handler.  Seeing the food handler using a screener, I asked him how to wash the equipment, he is then explaining the washing procedure.  That is impressing me. Think about it, if the food handler does not go through proper training and practising it, would he answer the cleaning procedure? Certainly not! After a while, when the food is ready, he invited me to test the food as many as I could. I tasted it and it’s very yummy. I enjoy the clean food. That’s a very impressive experience I had. 

So, we should arrange our food handler team to attend food handlers training course. Let’s not think about complying the regulations first. Think about how customers can enjoy my food product in peace of mind and become my repeated customers.  I guess that’s every food business owner’s will.      
     

PERSONAL HYGIENE OF FOOD HANDLERS

Personal hygiene is one of the practices that food business owners should emphasize while running the food business. This is because the practice is closely related with food hygiene.  Food handler with poor personal hygiene would contaminate the food that they are preparing.

Hence, food handler candidates should be briefed about the importance of personal hygiene before they join the food company.  The basic requirement of a food handler is getting Anti-typhoid vaccinated and attending a food handling course. The candidate would learn concepts about food handling in the course, for them to practise during handling food. Attending the training also enable them to comply reg 30 of Food Hygiene regulations 2009. 

It is a good habit for food handler to have a routine self-check before commencing the daily work. Food handler should make sure that they are fit to work. They should wear appropriate attire to protect food from contaminated. Besides, food handlers are also not allowed to wear accessory, posses’ long fingernails or apply cosmetics while handling food to prevent food contamination.

Food handlers who is sicked, suffering from food poisoning or get hurt at hands are not allowed to handle food. While handling food, they should wear head cover and apron and to use appropriate and clean utensils or wearing glove to handle food and should not touching food with bare hands. This is because they are a lot of contaminants in our body, especially Staphylococcus aureus which existed on our hair, ears, nose, mouth and hands.  

While handling food, food handler also must implement hygiene practices, such as washing hands.  Food handlers should wash hands after visiting toilets, touching face, handling raw foods, dispose waste, cleaning equipment or facility and before resume to work.   Do not smoke, coughing directly on the food, taste food with fingers, eating, spitting, digging nose, scratching head etc while preparing the food because these actions would cause cross contamination easily.

Poor personal hygiene is one of the reasons that food is contaminated, causing food poisoning.  This incident (which caused by poor personal hygiene) could be avoided when every food handler builds a habit of maintaining good personal hygiene.  Everybody can do it!

7 STEPS OF HAND WASHING

Hands are the part of our Food Handlers’ body which always contacting food. Thus, food handlers should always wash hands, especially each time before handling food. Well, do you know that actually there are 7 steps in hand washing? Let’s check if you / your food handlers practise these steps.

Step 1: Apply adequate soap in hands with clean water.  Remember to use liquid type soap. Solid type soap would accumulate contaminants from the previous soap users. After applying soap, it’s better to turn on the water tab using elbow, as our palms are dirty would contaminate the water tab. So, it is good if food business owner to install longer water tab handle.  Some hand washing equipment has water tab that is being turned on by stepping with foot or pressing with knee. 

Step2: Scrub both hands for a thoroughly soap application.  Some people just ignore this step. They thought by getting wet their hands is enough to wash hands. Actually, it is not.  This step could remove contaminant on the palm.

Step3: Scrub each finger and the crevices. This step helps to remove contaminants that is hided in between fingers.

Step4: Scrub finger nails at both palms to remove dirt at adjacent nails. Food Handlers should make sure their finger nails to be cut as short as possible to avoid dirt hiding in the crevices between finger nails and the fingers.     

Step5: Using finger nails to scrub the rear side of each hand to remove dirt at the back of hands.

Step6: Turn on water tab by elbow and rinse hands with clean water. This step removing all contaminant that had been washed away by soap. Having done that, turn off the water tab by elbow again.

Step7: Dry hands with paper towel or hand dryer.  Some document sharing to dry hands with clean towel. I do not really agree that as the towel would eventually dirty as a result of the dirt accumulation from the previous users. So, I prefer using paper towel to dry hands and to throw the towel in the waste bin.  Hand drying is another hygiene method which we can implement too.

Washing hands with these 7 steps take at least 20 seconds. This is an effective way to clean our hands and to prevent us from contaminating the food while we handle them.

Let’s practise the steps today! 

FOOD HYGIENE – THE BASIC REQUIREMENT OF FOOD BUSINESS

Food Hygiene is a series practices for preventing food borne illness, food borne injury and food borne spoilage.    It is a basic requirement for every food business owner or manager to implement while running food businesses.  Without food hygiene application, food business owners would face risks in business sustainability. 

Food hygiene practices emphasize on personal hygiene of every food handler, the cleanliness of equipment and the environment.  Customers will be impressed when they see clean facilities and nice-set, clean equipment as they move in.  Well-trained food handlers would know on how to have good personal hygiene.  With this service quality, they would be able prepare clean and delicious food that customers enjoy with peace of mind.    

Proper food handling will prevent food wastage. For example, when food is contaminated by flies, dirty hands, or even with the detergent, food handler should throw away the food in order to avoid food poisoning. Well, think about the amount of food waste. It’s a cost. However, if food handlers practicing food hygiene, they avoid the wastage.

When customer feel good about the environment, the food handlers and the food, this would build customers trust and royalty because they had a great experience dining here. Customers are more willing to dine in at a clean café where food hygiene is in place then at dirty café.  The personal hygiene and the food handling of food handlers would count too.  

Implementing food hygiene at workplace would develop personal growth in food handlers.  While they are learning to handling food correctly, they are also building a good habit in handling food at their home.  So, it will improve their concern about food safety.  

Customers love good food. But customers also expect clean premise, good service and hygiene food each time they visit the food premise. So, food hygiene should be strictly adhered in food premise.      

  

WHAT IS FOOD POISONING?

Food poisoning is a sickness that causing patients suffer of vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and other symptoms.   Man suffers of food poisoning due to consuming contaminated food.  Some people recovered from food poisoning soon but some people die of food poisoning. 

There are 3 kinds of food contaminations - Physical, chemical and microbiology contamination. Physical contamination occurs when food is contaminated with thing which we can see, such as hair, pest, staples, button, accessories etc.  Some physical substance carrying microbe and contaminate the food too.  For instance, when human hair dropped on the food, the hair, it is likely the food would be also be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus.  Chemical contamination occurs when the food is stained by chemical like detergent, pesticide, sanitizers or any other chemical. Microbiological contamination is the contamination with microbes (living things which we can see only with microscope). Bacteria is one of the common microbes that causing food contamination.  

Our body has immunity system that can protect ourselves from any harmful inhaled substances. This system responses to contaminants by resulting vomiting, diarrhoea and fever in order to remove the contaminant from the body.   These reactions help to clean the body condition.  However, in some cases, people suffer serious condition or even died of food poisoning.  For example, people will get Typhoid infection when they consumed food which is contaminated by Salmonella typii. These bacteria will cause intestine inflammation and the patient would die if no immediate medication.  People with low immunity, like pregnant women, patients, old folks and kids are likely to suffer serious food poisoning when they consume contaminated food.  Other than vomit, diarrhoea, fever, there is other food poisoning symptoms including nausea, constipation, no appetite, weak and so on.  

Food poisoning case will result huge negative impact in food business. When health officers received report that many customers suffered food poisoning as the result of consuming contaminated food, the health officers will initiate investigation. They had the right to take samples on the suspected food and send to government designed laboratories for food safety analysis. When the laboratory results confirmed the food is contaminated, the officers will take legal actions against food owners. The officer would also, cited Section 11 of Food Act 1983, to order food business owner to stop operating food business for a period of not exceeding 14 days, if they checked the premise is dirty, especially when there is pest infestation in the kitchen. This would probably ruin the business reputation. 

Maintaining clean food premise and leading food handlers’ team to prepare and handling food correctly are the good initiatives to prevent food poisoning. Every food handler plays important roles in the business.  Therefore, it is essential to organize trainings for food handlers.  Weekly meeting, review and routine check on food handling helps to improve food hygiene and food safety of the food business. 

Food poisoning is a serious incident that could cause business loss.  The food handler team should have awareness about it. When every food handler is familiar and practicing correct food handling, such incident can be avoid. 

             

Jacky Chung
Food Handling course trainer
JACKYZ SOLUTION

           

                 

3 JOB DESCRIPTIONS DETERMINE IF YOUR WORKERS ARE FOOD HANDLERS

Running a food business need manpower. A food kiosk needs at least a worker, a restaurant might need 3 - 5 workers, bigger food business needs more, up to 15 -20, food factories need even more.  We often call these workers as worker, staff, crew etc. But do you know that they also have another designation called Food Handler? 

Citing Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, all food handlers should attend 3-hours Food Handlers Training Course organized by certified Food Handlers Training School to obtain Food Handling course certificate.  Food handler who failed to do so could result penalty not more than RM10,000 and not more than 2 years imprisonment.  So, if you are running a food business, do examine who are food handlers in your organization and if they had obtained a Food Handlers Training Course Certificate.

A very straight forward definition of food handler is, a person who is preparing food in a premise. It refers to the cook, kitchen helper, food factory operators, any person who is preparing food and processing food. 

Equipment has food contact surfaces

Besides, a person who is contacting food and food contact surfaces in a premise is a food handler.  Plates, bowl, glasses, chopping board, fork, spoon, chopstick, knife, basket, basins and any other equipment that are used for handling food in a kitchen has surfaces that will be contacted with food. This surface is called food contact surface. A person like dish washers would touch food contact surfaces while she is washing plate. And so, a dish washer is also called a food handler. Besides dish washer, is there any other workers who would contact food contact surfaces?

Finally, a person who is handling packaged or unpackaged food or equipment in a premise is called a food handler. For this definition, you can always think about to bakery staff’s work activity. They are handling packaged or unpackaged bread or cakes on display rack.

By now you had known who would you called Food Handlers. So, a staff in your organization who is working in office ONLY is not grouped as Food Handler.  A cashier, by definition is not a Food Handler, but if business owner sometimes arranging her to “help serving food”, she should be categorized as a Food Handler.

As a kind reminder, do arrange your food handlers to attend Food Handlers Training Course and having anti-typhoid vaccination to avoid penalty.  When your food handlers are attending the course, they would receive proper training on food handling so that they would know how to take care of your food business. 

 

                 

Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION