Help Your Employees Protect Against Pathogens

If the food handler or worker accidentally vomits in a food environment, a major contributing factor of the viral or bacterial pathogen cross contamination is aerosolization of the pathogenic agent in the vomitus. Another factor can be incomplete decontamination of the worker. Sometimes an employee trying to hide his illness or vomiting episode will improperly clean and sanitize the toilet or sink. If food product is later cooled in the same sink, the food will be contaminated, causing a significant outbreak.10 Contamination can also be caused by unchanged clothing after vomiting or by inadequate personal hygiene. ■

Giambrone is the senior technical support manager at Rochester Midland Corp. and is also a qualified SQF consultant. Reach him at [email protected].

References

1. Todd EC, Greig JD, Bartleson CA, et al. Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 3. Factors contributing to outbreaks and description of outbreak categories. J Food Prot. 2007;70(9):2199-2217.
2. Greig JD, Todd EC, Bartleson CA, et al. Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 1. Description of the problem, methods, and agents involved. J Food Prot. 2007;70(7):1752-1761.
3. Todd EC, Greig JD, Bartleson CA, et al. Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 2. Description of outbreaks by size, severity, and settings.J Food Prot. 2007;70(8):1975-1993.
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7. Sattar SA, Lloyd-Evans N, Springthorpe VS, et al. Institutional outbreaks of rotavirus diarrhoea: potential role of fomites and environmental surfaces as vehicles for virus transmission. J Hyg [London]. 1986;96(2):277-289.
8. Hatakka M, Björkroth KJ, Asplund K, et al. Genotypes and enterotoxicity of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from hands and nasal cavities of flight-catering employees. J Food Prot. 2000;63(11):1487-1491.
9. Todd EC, Greig JD, Bartleson CA, et al. Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 5. Sources of contamination and pathogen excretion from infected persons. J Food Prot. 2008;71(12):2582-2595.
10. Patterson W, Haswell P, Fryers PT, et al. Outbreak of small round structured virus gastroenteritis arose after kitchen assistant vomited. Commun Dis Rep CDR Rev. 1997;7(7):R101-R103.