Hygienic practices in food handling and preparation are important to prevent contamination and food poisoning. Regulations cover manufacturing, packaging, transport, storage, food handler health and hygiene, facility sanitation, waste disposal, food preparation, and retail premises. Personal hygiene practices include washing hands and cleaning nails before preparing food, not coughing or sneezing over food, covering infections and cuts, wearing a clean apron, and avoiding licking fingers or touching food with hands. Food should be purchased from clean shops and stored properly at home according to label instructions, with leftovers consumed within 24 hours. Kitchen hygiene requires regularly cleaning surfaces, utensils, and floors and preventing animal access. Waste should be disposed of

1. Hygienic practices
Hygienic practices in the handling and preparation of food
The hygienic handling and preparation of food, great importance for the
prevention of food contamination and poisoning
Food hygienic regulations cover all aspects:
- manufacture and packaging of food
- transport and storage of food
- activities and health of food handlers
- food preparation premises
- sanitary facilities
- waste disposal
- food preparation practices
- food retail premises
Personal hygiene
-Before preparing food tie your hair
Wash hands
Clean nails
- never cough, sneeze, spit or smoke over food
- cover up skin infections and cuts
- wear clean apron
- do not lick fingers or spoon and touch food
Food purchase
- buy food from clean shops
- check there are no animals
- check date stamps on fresh foods
- choose fresh foods wisely
Food storage at home
- Store fresh foods in cool place. See label
- use old ones before new ones
- Left- over foods no more than 24 hs.
- Keep food protected from animals
Kitchen hygiene
- Regularly wash and clean surfaces, cookers, floor
- Keep utensils clean and well stored when not used
- Wipe up spills as they occur
- no animals allowed in kitchen
- wash dishcloth with bleach or disinfectant
- use very hot water and detergent to wash dishes
- sterilize infant feeding bottles carefully
- make sure that frozen foods: poultry, pork, cream and fish are completely
unfrosted before cooking and then thoroughly cooked to destroy salmonella
Waste disposal
- keep dust bin well away from kitchen in cool, shaded position. Close lid
- disinfect dust bin often
- do not allow sink pipe to become clogged