This week’s food safety infosheet from the International Food Safety Network (iFSN) focuses on the effectiveness of hand sanitizers. Questions regarding hand sanitizers, such as, "How effective are hand sanitizers?", "Can hand sanitizers be used as a substitute for hand washing?", and "What should I look for in a sanitizer?" are answered in this infosheet.
N.J.’s stringent new regulations aim to take food safety in hand
Sure, you washed your hands, but did you apply the soap according to manufacturers’ instructions and rub the hands together vigorously for at least 10 seconds, covering under the fingernails and any exposed portions of the arm?
No, this is not your mother speaking. NJ.com reports that it is a new state law for all
Remember, safety first in kitchen
Margaret Prouse of The Gaurdian today published an article about food safety:
"Preventing foodborne illness, or food poisoning, is just as important as preventing injury from accidents or fire. Those who are young, old, pregnant or have impaired immune systems are most at risk, but no one wants to get food poisoning.
There are
Make a habit of proper hand washing
Catherine Whitnall of The Lindsay Daily Post reports that hand washing is one of the most simple and effective ways to fight disease, yet many people either forget to wash their hands or don’t do it properly.
Recently, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit joined forces with the Ross Memorial Hospital to spread the word during Hand Hygiene Week.
On Monday Laura Young, a public health nurse with the HKPR communicable disease control unit, worked with Sharon Connell, an infection control practitioner with the hospital, to provide staff with an interesting look ‘behind the scenes’ when it came to washing hands.Continue Reading Make a habit of proper hand washing
There’s a right way to wash your hands
Roger Richards of The Virginian-Pilot reminds us that there’s a right way to wash our hands.
We all know that if we washed our hands after using the bathroom and before meals, we would be a lot healthier. Those germs we spread around on our hands cause those around us a lot of sickness.
But
Millions of Germs and Bacteria Await Kids at School
NSF International reports that American children are back in school, but homework isn’t all they’re bringing home — they’re likely bringing home thousands of microscopic germs. NSF International (NSF), an independent, not-for-profit organization, recently collected and tested samples and found as many as 2.7 million bacterial cells per square inch on common school surfaces such as water fountains, desks, computer keyboards, bus seats and cafeteria trays.
NSF’s startling findings include:
* Drinking water fountain spigots had the highest amount of bacteria on the tested surfaces — 2.7 million bacterial cells per square inch.
* A cafeteria tray had more than ten times as many germs as a toilet seat (33,800 bacterial cells per square inch vs. 3,200 bacterial cells per square inch).
* A student’s hand had 1,500 bacterial cells per square inch.Continue Reading Millions of Germs and Bacteria Await Kids at School
Hand washing dramatically cuts illness in kids
Reuters reports that washing hands with soap can halve the number of young children suffering from pneumonia, the leading killer of youngsters under 5 years old worldwide.
It can also greatly reduce cases of diarrhea and the skin infection impetigo, scientists said on Friday.
Although it may seem simple and logical, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown improved hygiene could save many lives, particularly in poor countries.
“One of the things that this research shows it that there are even more health benefits to the simple act of hand washing than we have previously appreciated,” said Dr. Stephen Luby, the lead researcher and an epidemiologist at the CDC.Continue Reading Hand washing dramatically cuts illness in kids