The following information is for all vendors handling and selling food. The objective of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) and the Inspectorate is keeping food safe and protect the consumer against foodborne disease.
There are all kinds of risks when handling food. Whether you’re selling food from permanent food premises (canteen or kiosk), or temporary or mobile premises (food van or stall), food must be prepared and stored properly in the interest of public health.
Food Safety – Health requirements
If you are ill or have an infection you can easily transfer harmful bacteria or viruses to food.
Do not handle food if:
you are ill with vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or sore throat with fever; or
your doctor has diagnosed that you have or carry a foodborne illness.
If you have volunteered for an event and then become ill with any of the above symptoms, let the event organiser know that you can no longer work. This is very important, no matter how short-staffed the event may be. Food handlers who are ill can easily make food unsafe. Not only is it against the law, it is not worth the risk. If you start to feel unwell while you are at an event, stop handling food and let the event organizer know immediately.
If you have:
infected sores on your hands, arm or face; or
any discharges from your ear, nose or eyes (such as a cold)
You can continue to handle food provided you take extra precautions to prevent food being contaminated. For example, cover the skin sore or take medication to dry up the discharge.
Hygiene requirements
General hygiene
Each food handler must take all precautions to ensure that food or surfaces that come in contact with food are not contaminated by his or her body or anything he or she is wearing. This includes hair, saliva, mucus, sweat, blood, fingernails, clothes, jewellery or bandages.
You are required to:
avoid handling ready-to-eat food such as salads and cooked food use tongs or other implements instead;
wear clean outer clothing;
make sure bandages and dressings on exposed parts of your body (such as the hands, arms or face) are covered with waterproof coverings;
not eat over uncovered food or equipment and utensils;
not sneeze, blow or cough over uncovered food or equipment and utensils; and
not spit, smoke or chew tobacco where food is handled.
Hand washing
The most important measure to protect food from contamination is proper hand washing because clean and dry hands limit the transfer of harmful organisms to food. The Food Safety Standards require food handlers to wash their hands whenever hands are likely to be a source of contamination of food, including. Avoid cross contamination of food e.g. using the same utensil to handle fish and chicken. Keep the preparation area and the respective surrounding clean and germ free.
There are five steps that should be followed when washing hands. These are:
wet hands under warm running water;
soap hands, lathering well;
rub thoroughly, including the wrists and between the fingers;
rinse in clean water; and
dry thoroughly on paper towel, leaving no moisture on the hands.
Food Safety Workshop
It is recommended to follow the food safety workshop as to be certified as a food handler where you acquire information on food preparation and safety:
before handling food;
between handling raw food and food that is ready to eat, such as cooked food and salads;
after using the toilet;
after smoking, coughing, sneezing, blowing the nose, eating or drinking;
after touching hair, scalp, mouth, nose or ear canal, and
after handling rubbish and other waste.