It’s critical to recognize the potential hazards of food, especially if you’re in the food business. You can take preventative measures when you understand how food can get contaminated.

Food contamination causes foodborne sickness and its business-destroying relative, a foodborne illness outbreak. Food contamination occurs when something that should not be present enters the food, rendering it dangerous to consume.

However, every California Food Handler must be careful to avoid several food safety risks that could lead to food contamination, and this risk falls into three categories: biological, physical, and chemical. The most prevalent is the physical approach of how food handlers can contaminate food, causing illness in consumers.

Biological

Biologically, microorganisms offer no risk to health. Indeed, many species of bacteria are necessary for human survival and wellness. You’ve

How Food Handlers Contaminate Foods

undoubtedly heard of some of them, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, which gives food a distinctive character and aids digestion.

However, Bacterial contamination is responsible for a more significant percentage of foodborne infections that end in hospitalization worldwide.

Chemical

It is difficult to remove chemicals from the food supply. Government bodies such as the FDA regulate many potentially dangerous substances, such as pesticides and herbicides. However, other substances can contaminate the food eaten that you may not be aware of.

Cleaning agents used to clean your food preparation surface and eating utensils can contaminate foods they come into touch with if not properly washed off, removed, or neutralized. A wide range of additives in chemicals is used in food preparation. Some affect human health, while some are good and many are toxic.

Physical

This is a direct approach to contamination; a physical food hazard is when a contaminant fall upon food that could cause illness or injury to the person eating it. Directly, food handlers can contaminate food or mistakenly introduce pathogens to food.

Hair in food, a tiny pebble in your salad that might shatter your tooth if you bite it, and many that may not be seen with the naked eye.

How Food Handlers Can Contaminate Food 

Poor personal hygiene can pose significant problems in the kitchen or service area, causing food poisoning and may cause irreparable damage to the reputation of a food business.

As a food handler, you must maintain proper personal hygiene to maintain a safe working environment and avoid spreading foodborne illnesses. Avoid contamination of food by immediately properly washing your hands after any of the following:

Scratching the Scalp

Bacteria are food in hair follicles and cause folliculitis. Shaving or plucking hair on the head can cause folliculitis on the scalp. 

A Food handler with a scalp ailment who scratches excessively may contract a scalp infection, causing harm to consumers.

Running a Finger through the Hair. 

Also, hair is a source of microbiological contamination. As a result, every hair in food might be a source of cross-contamination and make consumers sick.

A professional food handler must avoid running your finger through your hair to lessen the chance of contracting any food poisoning that may fall into your food as a result of this action. It is advisable to cover hair tightly in the kitchen and service area.

Wiping or Touching the Nose

Microbes that are harmful to humans can be transmitted by diarrhea, vomiting, and nose fluids. Food poisoning germs are abundant in the nose and mouth and quickly transfer to food.

Stay at home if you have a cold or a sore throat: Cough or sneeze away from food, especially kitchen.

Rubbing an ear

Because the ear can harbor illness or discharge, food handlers should avoid massaging their ears to prevent food contamination.

Touching pimples of infected wound/boil

Pimples, wounds, and boils are the most common skin defects. They can spread when food is handled by someone who comes into contact with infected areas.

A food handler must avoid touching the infected area or preparing s ready-to-eat items, including salads, prepared meat, and fruit. 

Wearing or toughing dirty uniform

Dirty clothing is a significant source of cross-contamination in the kitchen because it can transport bacteria from one location to another. All clothes should be washed and stored correctly to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Avoid wearing or touching dirty clothes, and always use high-quality cleaning chemicals—store clean garments in a clean, dry place, away from any potential sources of contamination.

Coughing and Sneezing unto Hand

If you cough or sneeze into your hands, wash your hands and replace any gloves properly. Wipe away sweat from your face with a cloth or paper towel, then thoroughly wash your hands to save your food consumers.

Spitting in the operation

Pathogens can cause foodborne diseases or infections through saliva. So, avoid spitting in the kitchen or food area to prevent spreading infectious diseases, which are distributed through saliva.

To reduce the possibility of contamination in your food operation, always:

1. Maintain solid hygiene standards
2. Cover raw food on shelves, or refrigerate
3. Make different sorts of cuisine with other tools or utensils
4. Wash your hands frequently with the proper hand washing technique.
5. Properly handle and dispose of food scraps and waste.

Preventing food contamination in your food service establishment

Everyone who handles food must take all reasonable care to prevent foodborne disease and contamination from affecting the public. Knowing food handling performance will have a negative and positive impact on productivity.

Training is the most effective means of preventing food contamination and ensuring food safety. Learn all rudiments of food safety today. Become a California Food Handler at Ace Food Handler today.

You can download your free copy of How Food Handlers Contaminate food below.

How Food Handlers Contaminate Foods