When discussing handwashing station setups with our students, we’ve noticed since finger nail brushes are no longer required, fingernail hygiene training has been often neglected . Even if you wash your hands properly dirt and bacteria can remain trapped under the fingernails creating the risk of pathogens transferring to food that is handled with bare hands. While fingernail maintenance only has two lines in the Minnesota food code, there are some important reasons that food safety managers should not overlook risks poor fingernail hygiene can cause.
Food Safety Managers and Fingernail Maintenance
Food safety managers should provide fingernail hygiene training concerning:
- Trimming Fingernails
- Wearing Gloves over Painted Fingernails
- Artificial Fingernails
Fingernails must be trimmed and filed so that they are easily cleanable. Rough fingernail tips can become caught in food product and potentially break off into food or onto preparation surfaces. Rough fingernails can also harbor bacteria in the frayed edges, even with proper handwashing, so maintaining smooth nails is much more than a grooming aesthetic. Long fingernails also pose the risk of breakage, even if carefully filed, so make sure nails are an appropriate length.
Food safety managers should enforce good fingernail hygiene by making it clear that painted or artificial fingernails should never come into contact with any type of food product. Managers should make note of poor fingernail hygiene and instruct employees with painted or artificial nails to cover them with gloves at all times in the kitchen.
Have you taken the time to review fingernail maintenance with your kitchen staff?