Guidelines for Food Handlers on Infections and Exclusion

Legal Requirements for Food Handlers

Understand the legal obligations concerning infections in food businesses:

• No person with a disease likely to be transmitted through food or with infected wounds, skin infections, sores, or diarrhoea should handle food or enter food-handling areas.
• Report any illness or symptoms immediately to the manager if likely to come into contact with food.
• Such individuals are commonly referred to as food handlers.

Risks of Disease Transmission

Learn about the risks of disease transmission through food handling:

• Bacteria causing gastrointestinal illness can spread through faeces or vomit, particularly when a person has diarrhoea and vomiting.
• Viruses can survive on food and spread via contaminated hands or airborne particles, leading to outbreaks.
• Parasitic worms and protozoa can also infect through faecal contamination.

Management Responsibilities

Responsibilities of managers regarding exclusion and management of infected food handlers:

• Exclude any person with stomach/gut infections or unmanageable skin infections from food handling duties.
• Exclude period is usually 48 hours after symptoms cease.
• Consider the nature of duties, food processes, and vulnerable consumers when making exclusion decisions.

Exclusion Criteria and Exceptions

Criteria for excluding food handlers and exceptions based on symptoms:

• Exclude individuals with infectious symptoms until 48 hours after symptoms cease, except for non-infective causes like morning sickness or certain medical conditions.
• Continue exclusion if symptoms persist or return within the 48-hour period.

Non-Infective Causes of Symptoms

Examples of non-infective causes where exclusion may not be necessary:

• Morning sickness, certain medications, bowel inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, and dietary causes.
• Use caution and medical advice to determine if symptoms are non-infective.