3-301: Preventing Contamination by Employees

3-301.11(E) Prior Approval for Food Employees to Touch Ready-to-Eat Food

with Bare Hands.

Infected food employees are the source of contamination in approximately one in

five foodborne disease outbreaks reported in the United States with a bacterial or

viral cause.1 Most of these outbreaks involve enteric, i.e., fecal-oral agents. These

are organisms that employees were shedding in their stools at the time the food was

prepared. Because of poor or nonexistent handwashing procedures, workers spread

these organisms to the food. In addition, infected cuts, burns, or boils on hands can

also result in contamination of food. Viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents can be

involved.

Traditionally, food regulations have required two methods of preventing the spread of

foodborne disease by this mode of transfer, i.e., they have prohibited food workers

from preparing food when they are infectious and have required thorough and

frequent handwashing. In order to strengthen fecal-oral transmission interventions,

the Food Code provides focused and specific guidance about ill workers and when

handwashing must occur. As a final barrier, bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food

(i.e., food that is edible without washing or is not subsequently subjected to a

pathogen kill step) is prohibited and suitable utensils such as spatulas, tongs, singleuse gloves, or dispensing equipment are required to be used.

Because highly susceptible populations include persons who are

immunocompromised, the very young and the elderly, establishments serving