Personal Hygiene: Attire

The chef attire is an important component for all chefs in the kitchen, thus it is important for us to keep it clean at all times and maintain the hygiene level in the kitchen to prevent any cross contamination of food.

The Chef Hat

It should be free from stains and blemishes. One example of bacteria present is the Staphyloccus Aureus that can be found on the human skin and scalp of the hair. It might lead to food poisoning when it contaminates your food, with symptoms as follows:
1. Abdominal pain 
2. Vomiting 
3. Prostration 
4. "Sub"-normal temperatures 

By wearing the hat correctly, it would be more hygienic. The hat should be worn with one-finger spacing away from the eyebrows and this can help prevent sweat from entering the food during food preparation. This then prevents food contamination, by Staphyloccus Aureus present in our sweat, ensuring that the food would be safe to eat.

To further prevent it from happening, the hat should be washed daily to maintain the hygiene and keep it free from bacteria and germs that can cross contaminate the food when preparing food.

Below are the correct methods of wearing the chef hat:

Hat should have one finger spacing from the brows and the forehead should be free from any hair or fringes

Hair should be kept in the hat to prevent hair from falling out (physical hazard) when doing food preparation

The Apron 

The apron should also be free from stains or splashes of sauces from cooking that have been left behind on the apron from the day before. Thus, it is important to wash the apron daily to keep it clean, free from stains as well as  any bacteria that may result in cross contamination while preparing food in the kitchen. 

One of the bacteria that might cause food poisoning and/or food contamination is Clostridium Perfringens, which can be found in raw meat, poultry and dried products. During food preparation, it is possible that your apron may be 'dirtied' by it. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by Clostridium Perfringens include:
1. Severe abdominal pain
2. Diarrhoea

The apron should be durable, appropriate for work and be able to cover ordinary clothing. To prevent any cross contamination from happening, the apron should be taken off when you are out of the kitchen, as wearing it outside the kitchen may 'dirty' your apron and cause cross contamination since it is an 'unsanitized' place. Also, it should be washed daily to remove any stain, dirt and/or bacteria from 'sticking' to your apron from your previous tasks.

Example of a dirty apron:

We should not enter the kitchen with a dirty or stained apron

Example of a clean apron:

We have to ensure apron is clean and free from creases when we enter the kitchen

The Chef Jacket

Similarly, the chef jacket should also be clean and free from stains, so it should be washed daily with detergent to maintain its cleanliness and prevent any cross contamination when preparing the food. Also, the use of detergent to wash the chef jacket can also help to wash away soil and dirt.

The sleeves should only be folded like that when deep-frying stuffs, but it shouldn't be stained/dirtied and untidy.

Sleeves should be folded twice upward to prevent from distracting you from preparing food and the jacket should be clean and tidy at all times.



Side pocket of the chef jacket where we put the tasting spoon should also be clean from stains or the tasting spoon will be dirty and it might cross contaminate other food.



Chef Pants

Just like other components of the attire, the chef pants should also be free from stains and dirt when entering the kitchen. Thus, it should be wash daily with detergent to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene.  

 

The chef pants should be long enough to cover the ankle

Chef Safety Boots

For the chef boots, it should be free from stains, dirt and dust that may be stuck to the boots from the previous day in the kitchen (e.g. debris of food).  Bacteria may grow and cause cross contamination in the kitchen.



Listeria can be found on the safety shoes, if not cleaned regularly, as it may be contaminated by the environment e.g. dust, insects and animals. Symptoms of food poisoning include:
1. Meningitis (inflammation of the meninges, caused by viral or bacterial infection, and marked by intense headache and fever, sensitivity to light, and muscular rigidity)
2. Septicaemia (blood poisoning)
3. Mild Flu
4. Miscarriage in pregnant women 

 The white socks should also be clean for our own hygiene matters, thus it is encouraged to be changed daily.
To prevent any food poisoning from happening, the boots should be cleaned or washed regularly to ensure the boots are clean, thus prevent any cross contamination in food.

 

Safety boots have to be clean and socks have to be high enough to cover the ankle.

Chef attire should be properly worn and kept clean at all times in the kitchen to prevent from any potential cross contamination that could lead to food-borne illnesses or even death. Thus, maintaining personal hygiene is very important and it is also the first step to serving safe and delicious food to your customers. To conclude my point, it is our responsibility to ensure our chef uniforms are clean before entering the kitchen, and make sure we abide the rules of 'Personal Hygiene' to keep ourselves clean and hygienic at all times.

 

Example of being properly attired and having a clean set of uniform before going into the kitchen.