Guidelines for preventing hair contamination of food

Help prevent contamination of food with hair by assessing which types of hair protection clothing are most appropriate and effective for your business

Contamination of food with hair is unacceptable - mainly from an aesthetic perspective though it carries a risk of introducing bacterial contamination. Good hygienic practice involves protecting food from hair contamination through the use of protective clothing. However, if this protective clothing is not appropriate for the task or is not used properly then it can be of limited use and, in some cases increase the risk of contamination.

This guide has been produced to help food producers identify important aspects of protective clothing designed to prevent food contamination from hair - including head coverings and beard snoods. It was developed by an industrial working group with the input of companies from both the food and protective clothing sectors, to provide guidance that is both workable and effective. It is extensively illustrated with colour photographs of hair protection clothing and the materials used to produce them.

Contents

• Summary of guidance
• Introduction
• Typical guidance in the literature
• Information on hair growth and hair loss
• Micro-organism risk
• Types of head coverings and hair control items
• Specific issues relating to head coverings
• Specifications for head coverings
• Methods of assessing hair control items
• Investigation of hair complaints
• Questionnaire results
• References
• Appendix - Sample questionnaire sent to industry

Softcover – 70 pages – full colour