Food Service Workers Hygiene People Prevent Hands Good

In the United States, many people are worried about the quality of food that they buy at stores and eat in restaurants. They are worried that the food may be "contaminated" by the people who made it, meaning that the workers' or factories' germs are in the food. To prevent contamination, there are many state laws that try to improve the hygiene of "food service workers," who are people who prepare food for stores or in restaurants.

The laws in most states require that food service workers wash their hands with warm water and soap after using the bathroom and before touching food or kitchen tools. Many food service workers also must wear "gloves" or pieces of plastic that cover their hands. The gloves prevent germs from moving from the workers' hands to the food and also protect the workers' hands from "sharp" (dangerously pointed objects) that could cut them. Most food workers are required to wear a "hair net" or a small piece of fabric that covers one's head and prevents one's hair from falling into the food.

Food service workers are not supposed to go to work when they are sick. If they become sick while they are working, they should go home as quickly as possible.

State "agencies" (government offices or departments) often send "health inspectors" to restaurants and other places where food is prepared. These inspectors look for "violations" or things that do not follow the laws. When they find violations, the restaurant has to pay a "fine," giving money to the government as punishment. They also must agree to prevent the problem from happening again in the future.