The golden rules for food handling, in Aged Care and Health Care Settings

Golden Rules for Food Handling

1. Hand Hygiene:
   • Wash hands before handling food or putting on gloves.
   • Wash hands after using the toilet, smoking, coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, touching your face, nose, ears, or mouth, handling rubbish, or cleaning.
2. Avoid Contact:
   • Minimize contact with ready-to-eat foods.
3. Hair and Accessories:
   • Cover and tie back long hair.
   • Secure hair clips, pins, buttons, jewelry, and bandages.
   • Ensure bandages or dressings on exposed body parts are covered with a waterproof covering.
4. Prevent Contamination:
   • Do not sneeze, blow, or cough over unprotected food or surfaces that will come into contact with food.
   • Do not eat over unprotected food or surfaces that will come into contact with food.
5. Prohibited Actions:
   • Do not spit, smoke, or use tobacco in areas where food is handled.
   • Avoid touching food after touching earrings, body parts (hair, nose, ear, eye), skin lesions, saliva, mucus, sweat, blood, or money without first washing your hands.
   • Do not wear gel, acrylic, or false fingernails, or jewelry that will come into contact with food.
6. Additional Precautions:
   • Be aware that lanyards can also transmit bacteria.

These guidelines help ensure food safety and prevent contamination.