Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene is an important step to preventing foodborne illness.

Food employees must wash their hands immediately before engaging in food preparations and after the following: 

• Using the restroom
• Leaving and returning to the kitchen/prep areas
• Clearing tables or busing dirty dishes
• Before putting away clean dishes
• Taking out the garbage
• Handling chemicals
• Eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum or tobacco
• Handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood
• Touching the body or clothing 
• Sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue
• Handling money

Proper hand washing procedures include washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and then rinsing under clean running warm water. 

Hand sanitizer does not replace proper handwashing. 

Additional notes regarding items that may impact hygiene:

• Fingernails
  A food employee may not wear fingernail polish or artificial fingernails when working with exposed food, unless wearing intact gloves in good repair. 
• Jewelry
  Except for a plain ring such as a wedding band, food employees may not wear jewelry on their arms and hands while preparing food. 
• Outer clothing
  Food employees shall wear clean outer clothing to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service and single-use articles.