Hand hygiene in the food industry: a review

Understand the microbiological basis of hand hygiene and adopt standardised hand washing routines to help prevent food contamination.

The hands of food production personnel provide a route for contamination of food with foodborne pathogens. Good hygienic practice, based on a thorough understanding of the microbial flora of hands and how it can change under different circumstances, can help to reduce the risk of hand-mediated contamination of foods.

This review brings together literature drawn from studies into hand microbiology and hygiene as they relate to clinical practice and food hygiene. It describes the numbers and types of bacteria found on healthy skin and how the composition of this flora is affected by different practices. It quotes a variety of cases where poor hygiene has been implicated in microbial food contamination, describes basic procedures that can be adopted to minimise the risk of contamination, and outlines factors that should be considered when devising a hand hygiene policy as part of a food safety assurance programme.

Contents:

• Introduction - Hand hygiene as a route to contamination
  
• Physiology of the skin
  
• Microbiology of the skin
  

• Resident and transient flora
  
• Numbers of bacteria on hands
  
• Methods of assessment of bacteria on hands
• Hand hygiene
  

• Rings and watches
  
• Hand washing, system compliance and disinfection
• Dermatitis
  
• Gloves
  
• Recommended hand hygiene procedure
  

• When to wash hands
  
• Prior to hand wash
  
• Hand wash techniques
  
• Procedure for high risk food areas
• Policy
  
• References

Softcover - 36 pages