8.3.6  Food handlers

The term food handler can be applied to anyone who touches or handles food, and this includes people who process, transport, prepare, cook and serve food. The presence of microorganisms on the hands and outer garments of food handlers reflects the standard of hygiene in the environment and the individuals’ personal hygiene (as you learned in earlier study sessions). The microorganisms transmitted to foods by food handlers may come from the hides of animals, soil, water, dust, gastrointestinal tracts and other environmental sources. In food preparation at home, foodborne microorganisms can be introduced from the unwashed hands of people who are infected by bacteria and viruses, and who cook and serve the food to family members.