Hair Contamination Research Paper
Hair Contamination and Food Processing Plants
When you are working with food, you have to take extra care to not contaminate the food in the process. Just like hands, hair is always and heavily contaminated with microorganisms. To prevent contamination, the proper prevention garments must be used, such as hair bouffants and beard snoods.
When it comes to hair contamination prevention it’s important to understand how hair sheds and how it behaves under hair coverings. Using appropriate hair coverings for your type of operation is vital and is not to be taken lightly. Hair is the number one contaminant in food. All people shed about 150 hairs each day. If you are working in a plant of 100 workers for 8 hours a day, they will lose 5000 hairs.
Each one of those hairs is a potential contaminant if not covered properly.
Short and long hairs shed the same but short hairs are harder to see. Because short hairs are harder to see, they represent a higher risk to food safety than long hairs. So regardless of the length of your hair, you’ll want to don the proper coverings.
The proper hair coverings must be worn by all personnel entering or working in a food preparation or processing area, including packaging and package manufacturing facilities. All areas with hair must be covered. In food processing cleanrooms, the proper level of coveralls must be worn.
The proper hair garments should be worn from the beginning of the work period. After hand washing, hair coverings should not be touched or adjusted again in the food area. Any contact with hair or hair coverings will require you to immediately wash your hands.
When you are working with food, you have to take extra care to not contaminate the food in the process. Just like hands, hair is always and heavily contaminated with microorganisms. To prevent contamination, the proper prevention garments must be used, such as hair bouffants and beard snoods.
When it comes to hair contamination prevention it’s important to understand how hair sheds and how it behaves under hair coverings. Using appropriate hair coverings for your type of operation is vital and is not to be taken lightly. Hair is the number one contaminant in food. All people shed about 150 hairs each day. If you are working in a plant of 100 workers for 8 hours a day, they will lose 5000 hairs.
Each one of those hairs is a potential contaminant if not covered properly.
Short and long hairs shed the same but short hairs are harder to see. Because short hairs are harder to see, they represent a higher risk to food safety than long hairs. So regardless of the length of your hair, you’ll want to don the proper coverings.
The proper hair coverings must be worn by all personnel entering or working in a food preparation or processing area, including packaging and package manufacturing facilities. All areas with hair must be covered. In food processing cleanrooms, the proper level of coveralls must be worn.
The proper hair garments should be worn from the beginning of the work period. After hand washing, hair coverings should not be touched or adjusted again in the food area. Any contact with hair or hair coverings will require you to immediately wash your hands.