Supervisors and Personnel Share Responsibility for Keeping Plant Free from Contamination

To limit the potential for contamination, plant management should take all reasonable measures and precautions to ensure that personnel who are involved in food processing are healthy and conduct adequate hygiene and cleanliness.

Disease Control

If a supervisor observes any person appearing to have an illness, open lesion, boils, sores, infected wounds, or any other abnormal source of microbial contamination and there is a reasonable possibility of contaminating food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials, the supervisor shall exclude this person from any operations which may be expected to result in such contamination until the condition is corrected. Additionally, personnel should be instructed to report such health conditions to their supervisors.

Cleanliness

All persons working in direct contact with food, food-contact surfaces, and food-packaging materials shall conform to hygienic practices while on duty to the extent necessary to protect against contamination of food. The methods for maintaining cleanliness include, but are not limited to:

Clothing

Wear outer garments suitable to the operation in a manner that protects against the contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials.

Hygiene

Maintain adequate personal cleanliness.

Hand Washing

Wash hands thoroughly (and sanitize if necessary) in an adequate hand-washing facility:

• Before starting work

• After each absence from the work-station

• At any other time when the hands may have become soiled or contaminated

Accessories

Remove all unsecured jewelry and other objects that might fall into food, equipment, or containers, and remove hand jewelry that cannot be adequately sanitized during periods in which food is manipulated by hand. If such hand jewelry cannot be removed, it may be covered by material which can be maintained in an intact, clean, and sanitary condition and which effectively protects against the contamination by these objects of the food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials.

Gloves

Maintain gloves, if they are used in food handling, in an intact, clean, and sanitary condition. The gloves should be of an impermeable material.

Hair

Wear, where appropriate, in an effective manner, hair nets, headbands, caps, beard covers, or other effective hair restraints.

Personal Belongings

Store clothing or other personal belongings in areas other than where food is exposed or where equipment or utensils are washed.

Behaviors

Confine the following to areas other than where food may be exposed or where equipment or utensils are washed:

• Eating food

• Chewing gum

• Drinking beverages

• Using tobacco.

Additional Precautions

Taking any other necessary precautions to protect against contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials with microorganisms or foreign substances including, but not limited to:

• Perspiration

• Hair

• Cosmetics

• Tobacco

• Chemicals

• Medicines applied to the skin

 

For more information view the Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing or Holding Human Food.