ABSTRACT
Once the plant has been cleaned and sanitized, it is important to maintain this condition during production, when there are exposed ingredients, inprocess materials, and finished products present. Plant personnel are one of the most significant potential sources of microbiological, physical, and chemical food hazards. Because employees frequently move throughout the manufacturing facility, they can spread food hazards from area to area. For example, employees working in a raw meat area can track spoilage or pathogenic bacteria to the cooked-product department, or employees wearing uncovered jewelry can be a source of physical contaminants. For this reason, persons working in direct contact with food, food-contact surfaces, or foodpackaging materials must conform to hygienic practices while on duty. These hygienic practices include, but are not limited to, hand cleaning, the wearing of hair covering and clean outer garments, jewelry control, food and tobacco control, disease control, and control of employee traffic.
