The World Health Organisation has designated 15th October 2009 as World Hand Wash Day, and to coincide with this, Campden BRI has published guidelines for best practice in hand hygiene (Guideline 62).

Hands are one of the major sources and routes for cross-contamination in the food industry. Reducing cross-contamination is key in the production of microbiologically safer, higher quality food. Hand hygiene policies and the facilities provided for hand hygiene in food handling environments vary greatly. It is generally accepted that, as a bare minimum, policies should include the washing of hands before handling food, and that the facilities provided should be specifically for hand washing. However, hand hygiene policies can extend far beyond this basic requirement. The hand hygiene facilities, their location and their usage may also vary greatly. Some companies even monitor hand washing activities by way of closed circuit television.

This document reviews knowledge and practices relating to hand hygiene within the food and medical industries and uses this to propose best practice for hand hygiene within the food industry. It will be launched at a seminar on hand hygiene to be held at Campden BRI on 20th October 2009.