Clean your hands, surfaces and equipment. Do it often and do it well! Bacteria can get onto your hands, countertops, containers, dishcloths, utensils, and the food itself.

Cleaning your hands

Wash your hands before preparing, handling, serving or eating food.

Wash your hands after :

• using the washroom
• sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose
• touching your face, mouth or hair
• handling raw meat or other uncooked foods, or the surfaces they have been on (e.g., cutting boards, countertops)
• handling dirty utensils or dishes
• handling money
• smoking
• touching pets
• cleaning
• handling garbage

When washing your hands :

• Wet your hands with warm water.
• Lather your hands with soap for 15 to 20 seconds.
• Rinse hands thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Use the paper towel to turn the tap off.

Wherever possible, use a proper hand washing station to wash your hands. This includes a sink with hot and cold running water that drains into a proper sewage system.

If a hand wash station is not available, use a clean water container filled with warm water from a safe drinking water source. The water should flow out of the container through a valve that you can turn on and off. This could be a plastic jug with a spigot. Provide liquid soap in a dispenser and paper towels. You will also need another container to hold the waste water. Pour the waste water into a sanitary sewer, private sewage system or other approved receptacle.

Water for hand washing and preparing food

• Use a safe drinking water source (such as a municipal water supply or a tested private source) for hand washing and food preparation.
• Wash, rinse and sanitize drinking water containers before using them.
• If you are using a temporary water supply line connected to a drinking water supply, sanitize and flush the line before use.  Make sure the line is composed of food-grade material (not a garden hose) and install a one-way valve to ensure the water cannot flow back.

Cleaning dishes and utensils

When cleaning dishes, utensils and containers by hand, use the three compartment sink method. 

Sink #1 : WASH – Warm water, dish detergent.
Sink #2 : RINSE – Clean, warm water.
Sink #3 : SANITIZE – Add 2.5 mL (1/2 teaspoon) of household bleach to every 1 litre (4 cups) of warm water you put in the sink. Soak dishes and cutting boards for at least 45 seconds. Let them air dry completely before use.

If sinks are not available, use tubs or basins instead.

Alternatively,

• Use single serving methods such as toothpicks, paper cups and disposable plates, forks, knives and spoons.
• Keep a back-up supply of clean utensils (tongs, scoops, etc) to replace soiled or contaminated ones. Back-up utensils should be wrapped or kept in a clean, sealed container.

Cleaning countertops and other food contact surfaces

Using a sanitizing spray is a safe way to kill harmful bacteria left on surfaces after regular washing. To sanitize countertops, tables, taps, sinks, meat slicers and other appliances, follow these steps :

• Mix 5 mL (1 teaspoon) of household bleach per litre (4 cups) of water.
• Put mixture in a labeled spray bottle.
• Squirt the mixture on countertops and other surfaces.
• Wipe with a clean cloth or paper towel.
• Make a fresh solution often.

Do not :

• Do not handle food when you are sick – especially if you have been vomiting or have diarrhea.
• Do not sneeze, cough or blow your nose over unprotected food or surfaces.
• Do not pet animals when handling food.
• Do not allow smoking near food handling areas.

Do :

• Wear clean clothing.
• If you have a cut or wound on your hands, bandage it and wear clean, disposable gloves.
• When handling food, tie your hair back or cover with a hair net, bandana or baseball cap.
• Provide garbage disposal bins.
• Provide enough washrooms for the size of the market.
• Consider food safety training for anyone who will be preparing or handling food.

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