Better hygiene practises to continue!

COVID19 has resulted in better hygiene practises being introduced in food businesses, and these should continue well beyond this terrible pandemic!

The hospitality industry has incorporated many new health and safety procedures to keep food businesses safe and help prevent further spread of COVID19.  Here is a breakdown of the good practises that will continue during and beyond the pandemic:

• Washing hands properly

Thorough and frequent hand washing is one of the most important things a Food Handler can do to ensure safety in the workplace. This is more important now than ever, especially since hand washing is one of the key ways to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  Click here to download our free Handwashing Poster to display in your business as a friendly reminder to your staff.

• Using hand sanitiser

Food businesses are supplying hand sanitiser to staff members as well as customers to help kill pathogens and stop the spread of COVID-19.  Hand sanitiser ensures staff and customers have clean hands, and it also reassures customers when they see staff members using hand sanitiser.

Note – hand sanitiser could cause chemical contamination of food if it is not allowed to properly dry on hands before preparing food. For this reason, proper training on the use of hand sanitiser is essential.

• More regular and thorough cleaning

Cleaning and sanitising is an essential way that food businesses can prevent the spread.  Food businesses have had to update their cleaning and sanitising schedule to include an increased frequency as well as additional items to be cleaned and sanitised. High-touch objects such as menus, condiments, doorknobs, railings and trays are examples of objects that must not only be cleaned, but sanitised as well.  Regular cleaning and sanitising is vital to running a healthy, safe and successful food business.

• Staff training

Covid19 has forced upon us all new ways of doing things, hygene and cleaning protocols to follow.  Ensure your staff training is up to date.