Personal Hygiene importance in Food Industry

Personal hygiene is extremely important in food industry to produce and deliver safe food to consumers. All Food Manufacturing site’s or even restaurants , kitchen must follow these personal hygiene guidelines to produce safe food. Good personal hygiene is a basic requirement for all food safety programs.

Why is personal Hygiene important is food industry, this question is being asked so many people everyday. The key requirement is to protect food from contamination by people or anything they bring into the production area . The facility standards for personal Hygiene must be followed by everyone entering the facility.

Personal Hygiene- Food Manufacturing Facility Must Do:

• Display Personal hygiene rules and include the personal items allowed in the facility.
• All locker rooms & restrooms MUST be kept in a sanitary condition.
• Personnel MUST wash hands before beginning work and after eating, drinking, smoking, using the restroom, or otherwise soiling hands.
• Personnel MUST wear suitable and clean outer garments or uniforms.
• Personnel MUST properly wear hairnets to fully contain hair. An over-beard MUST also be used for men with beard.
• Personnel in contact with food products MUST remove jewelry and cosmetic items.
• Everyone entering the facility – including visitors, contractors and temporary personnel – MUST conform to the facility food safety policies and GMP guides.
• Visitors MUST be accompanied by a facility person when they enter production or storage areas.
• Hand washing facilities MUST be located at the entrance to production areas and at other appropriate sites.
• Facility MUST has procedures requiring personnel to notify supervisors of any relevant infectious disease or conditions to which they may have been exposed.

Personal Hygiene-Food Manufacturing Facility Must Not Do:

• NO open food or drinks in lockers or locker rooms.
• Personnel MUST NOT eat, drink, chew gum, or use tobacco products any where out side the designated areas.
• Personal food and belongings may NOT be brought into production or storage areas.
• NO person with boils, sores, infected wounds or any other infections or communicable disease is permitted to contact food.
• Tasting product is NOT allowed anywhere other than the designated areas by the site management

Personal Hygiene-Hand Washing Requirements:

• Hand wash units MUST be located at the entrance to production areas and at other appropriate sites.
• Hand washing sinks must NOT be used to clean equipment.
• Hand wash units must be provided with water, antibacterial soap and single use towels or air dryers.
•  “Wash hands” signs are required in restrooms, above sinks and entries to production areas.
• Training of all facility employees must be carried out on how to wash hands.

Personal Hygiene-Uniform or clothing Requirements:

• All personnel MUST wear suitable and clean outer clothing.
• Personnel MUST wear hairnets correctly to contain all hair.
• Suitable footwear MUST be worn.( Safety Shoe)
• If used – gloves MUST be controlled to prevent product contamination.

Personal Hygiene-Jewelry and Personal Items Requirements:

• Jewelry may NOT be worn in production areas.
• The following items must be removed before entering the production areas:

– Watches

– Earrings,

– Visible piercings,

– Bracelets,

– Necklaces,

– Rings with stones,

– False fingernails or eyelashes,

– Nail polish.