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.