Let's Ditch the Germs and Keep the Soap and Water

I'm a fastidious handwasher—to the point that, at the height of the pandemic, a friend gifted me a funny refrigerator magnet proclaiming, "Not to brag, but I was washing my hands way before it was this trendy."

More frequent handwashing is a COVID-era trend that I think we need to maintain. After all, who doesn't want to come into contact with fewer germs and fall sick less often? According to a survey conducted in early 2022, however, the rise in handwashing spurred by the pandemic has lapsed—by around 25 percent among American adults, compared to the spring of 2020,¹ when masking, social distancing, and handwashing comprised the trifecta of COVID-19 prevention. However, the frequency of handwashing in early 2022 was still 19 percent higher than the rate at which Americans washed their hands pre-pandemic. Hopefully, this is a sign of enduring improvement in personal hygiene.

As those working in the food industry (and especially retail foodservice) know, frequent handwashing isn't just important for keeping COVID-19 at bay. It is also essential for preventing norovirus and astrovirus, highly contagious gastrointestinal viruses that are responsible for a significant portion of foodborne illnesses contracted from eating at foodservice establishments. Pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, and others, also can be spread through unwashed or inadequately washed hands.² (Hand sanitizer alone is not a substitute for soap and water!)

Norovirus outbreaks are a frequent problem in foodservice, and the issue is drawing attention from governments worldwide. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently highlighted key Food Code recommendations for mitigating norovirus in foodservice establishments, including hand hygiene and glove use with ready-to-eat foods. In its study, FDA found that excluding ill food employees from the workplace had the largest impact on consumer illnesses and led to significant norovirus reductions. However, FDA also found that the restriction of ill food employees must include additional provisions—such as mandated, increased handwashing frequency—to be effective. Furthermore, FDA found that employee handwashing prior to donning gloves is critical to ensure that gloves do not facilitate norovirus contamination. Additionally, eliminating the need for employee hand contact with restroom surfaces, as well as improving the cleaning and sanitizing of restroom surfaces, was also shown to help control the transmission of norovirus to food and consumers in restaurants.³

Another example of increased attention on norovirus is an evaluation in 2022 by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) of the norovirus knowledge of kitchen staff across Denmark. Compared to previous years, more Danish food establishments (around 75 percent) were found to be compliant with DVFA's guidance that workers stay home for 48 hours after symptoms of norovirus infection end (note: the U.S. Food Code recommends that employees be symptom-free for 72 hours before returning to work). However, DVFA found that staff knowledge about norovirus spread and infection risk had decreased, leaving room for improvement in policies and training.⁴ 

As Dr. Hal King explains in his article, "Breaking the Chain of Infectious Disease Transmission in a Retail Foodservice Business,"⁵ there are a few strategic and effective ways to prevent the transmission of contagious viruses like norovirus and COVID-19 in a foodservice setting. These strategies include conducting employee screening and wellness checks before shifts, as well as ensuring employee personal hygiene and environmental contamination controls. The best way to ensure that these processes are performed adequately and the related hazards are controlled is by properly establishing a HACCP-based Food Safety Management System incorporating Active Managerial Control (AMC). AMC allows foodservice businesses to gain control over foodborne illness risk factors in a strategic and purposeful manner.

Winter is fast approaching in the Northern Hemisphere—and along with it, the plethora of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and other illnesses associated with the change in seasons. United action on handwashing hygiene is more important than ever. With improved education, training, access to sanitation, and control and monitoring of employee hygiene—all part of a good AMC program—foodservice establishments can do their part to help reduce foodborne illness. If you oversee or manage employees in a retail foodservice organization, now is a great time to reexamine your employee hygiene protocols and incentives. Also consider revisiting your sanitation and disinfection program, since high-touch surfaces are a major transmission point for germs (and don't forget about those foodborne pathogens)! If employees understand how assuming a casual attitude toward handwashing or working while ill can intensely sicken—and even kill—their customers, coworkers, and family members, then they may take more care with their habits and encourage others to do so, too.

References

1. "Global Handwashing Day Supports a United Stance on a Simple Action." Bradley Corporation for Cision Newswire. October 13, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-handwashing-day-supports-a-united-stance-on-a-simple-action-301648411.html.
2. "Good Hygiene Best Food Safety Defense Against Staphylococcus aureus in Foodservice." Food Safety Magazine. November 3, 2022. https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8111-good-hygiene-best-food-safety-defense-against-staphylococcus-aureus-in-foodservice.
3. "FDA Highlights Key Food Code Recommendations for Mitigating Norovirus in Restaurants." Food Safety Magazine. September 20, 2022. https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8004-fda-highlights-key-food-code-recommendations-for-mitigating-norovirus-in-restaurants.
4. "Evaluation Finds Danish Kitchen Staff Lacking in Norovirus Awareness." Food Safety Magazine. May 27, 2022. https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7771-evaluation-finds-danish-kitchen-staff-lacking-in-norovirus-awareness.
5. King, Hal. "Breaking the Chain of Infectious Disease Transmission in a Retail Foodservice Business." Food Safety Magazine. August/September 2020. https://www.food-safety.com/articles/6750-breaking-the-chain-of-infectious-disease-transmission-in-a-retail-foodservice-business.