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Personnel hygiene and hygiene training

Hygiene is paramount in the preparation of food. Not only food hygiene and kitchen cleaning are important, but also personnel hygiene. Pathogenic germs can not only be found in food, but can also be circulated and spread by employees.

eingeseifte Hände werden unter fließendem Wasser abgewaschen

What are the requirements for personnel hygiene?

  • Employees should maintain their appearance and be aware of their hygiene responsibilities.
  • Nail polish and artificial fingernails are taboo in the kitchen. Nails should always be short and clean.
  • Work clothes are mandatory in the kitchen. Clothing must be clean and washed regularly. In addition to a chef's jacket, chef's pants and an apron, it is also a good idea to wear headgear so that the food is not contaminated by sweat and hair. Long hair must also be tied up.
  • Work clothes and street clothes must be kept separate.
  • Wrist watches and visible jewelry have no place in the kitchen.
  • Wash hands! Hands must always be washed and dried with disposable towels before starting work, after each visit to the toilet and after processing raw food. Conventional cloth towels must not be used in the kitchen, as germs can multiply quickly here. In addition, hands should also be disinfected after washing.
  • Injuries must be covered with waterproof plasters. These should also be colorful, because they can be easily found again if one is lost.
Our tip

Create a list of personnel hygiene requirements and post it in the kitchen as well as in the changing area. This way, the rules are visible to every employee.

Things to know about hygiene training

The health certificate, which used to be issued once, is no longer sufficient for an activity with food contact. What is now required is instruction in accordance with the Infection Protection Act. The initial instruction is carried out by the health office or by a public health officer and must take place before the start of employment. A corresponding confirmation must be submitted to the employer and must not be older than three months. Subsequent instruction is obligatory every two years; the employer may also carry out this instruction himself.

Our tip

Create a list for each of your employees in which both the date of the initial hygiene instruction and the follow-up instructions are documented. In this way, it can be easily proven during an inspection that you are fulfilling your obligation to provide instruction in an exemplary manner.

sauber ausgeführte Schnitte eines Kochs auf einem Schneidebrett aus Holz
Hände werden mit einem flauschig-weichen Handtuch abgetrocknet

What does hygiene training include?

Every employee who works in the kitchen of a restaurant or a communal catering facility must be instructed. This includes dishwashing personnel and temporary employees. Service personnel do not need to be trained.

In addition to the basic rules for personnel and kitchen hygiene, the hygiene training also includes, above all, information about the prohibition of activities and employment in accordance with the Infection Protection Act. Employees suffering from diarrheal diseases, hepatitis or similar illnesses are not allowed to work in the kitchen from the first suspicion of such an illness. The employment ban only ends when it can be proven that no more pathogens are being excreted.

Our tip

If you are unsure and do not want to carry out the hygiene training yourself, you can also make use of professionally compiled training documents. Thus the hygiene instruction corresponds in any case to the requirements of the public health department and you have nothing to fear. Hygiene training from JMC Verlag

Suitable products for kitchen hygiene