How should food handlers manage personal hygiene?

Maintaining cleanliness and practicing proper handwashing is crucial for food handlers to ensure food safety and prevent foodborne illnesses. Personal hygiene directly affects the safety and quality of the food being prepared and served. Proper handwashing techniques, which include using soap and warm water, scrubbing all parts of the hands for at least 20 seconds, rinsing thoroughly, and drying with a clean towel or air drying, help eliminate pathogens that can contaminate food.

Good personal hygiene also encompasses wearing clean clothing, keeping hair restrained, and avoiding touching the face during food preparation, all of which contribute to a safe food environment. This approach goes beyond just washing hands after handling raw meat; it necessitates frequent handwashing at critical points, such as before preparing food, after using the restroom, and after handling garbage.

The other options suggest limited or ineffective hygiene practices, such as only washing hands after raw meat, which does not address the full range of contamination risks, or relying on gloves, which can create a false sense of security. Wearing gloves does not eliminate the need for handwashing, and using perfume to mask odors is not a competent hygiene practice and could lead to further contamination.