HAND WASHINGHAND WASHING

Fighting Food Fighting Food Poisoning: Poisoning:

What is one of the most important things you can do to fight food poisoning? Here are a few hints:

• It takes only 20 seconds (if you do it the right way).

• It requires only 3 ingredients.

• Anyone can do it, even very young children.

The answer is:

Over and over again, studies have shown that handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infections and illnesses - including foodborne

illnesses.

• After using the bathroom.After using the bathroom.• • After changing a diaper.After changing a diaper.• • After touching animals or animal waste.After touching animals or animal waste.• • Before and after preparing food, especially raw meat, Before and after preparing food, especially raw meat, poultry or fish.poultry or fish.• • Before eating.Before eating.• • After coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.After coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.• • Before and after treating wounds or cuts.Before and after treating wounds or cuts.• • Before and after touching a sick or injured person.Before and after touching a sick or injured person.• • After handling garbage.After handling garbage.• • Before inserting or removing contact lenses.Before inserting or removing contact lenses.• • When using public restrooms, such as those in airports, When using public restrooms, such as those in airports, train stations, bus stations, and restaurants.train stations, bus stations, and restaurants.• After touching any dirty surface.

When to Wash Hands?When to Wash Hands?

FACT: One out of three people do not wash their hands after using the restroom.

Wash your hands after you go to the restroom.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every year, more than 164 million school days are lost due to illness.

Many of those illnesses could have been avoided if children had washed their hands correctly.

When You Wash YourWhen You Wash YourHands the Right WayHands the Right Way…

• It takes only 20 seconds

• Requires only three ingredients:1. Running water2. Soap3. Something to dry your hands

(a hand dryer or clean towel).

Hand Washing is one of the

most important steps in food

safety.

What About Hand Sanitizers? What About Hand Sanitizers? Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them.

If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer.

Important: Hand sanitizers are not effective if your hands are visibly dirty.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Always use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Here’s how to use hand sanitizer properly:

• Apply the product to the palm of one hand. • Rub your hands together.• Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry.

Click on “start” to view a 3:38 minute video by the CDC.

Put Your Hands Together Put Your Hands Together VideoVideo

http://www.cdc.gov/cdctv/handstogether/

RESOURCESRESOURCES

http://www.cdc.gov/cdctv/handstogether/

http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/handwashing.html

http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/HandsTogether/Transcripts/HandsTogether.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/

http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention/

http://www.earthskids.com/basic_handwashing_info-kids2.htm