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• Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that is commonly carried by healthy human
beings.
• Staphylococcal food intoxication is a common cause of food-borne illness caused
by Staphylococcus aureus, which can be prevented by good personal hygiene and
avoiding bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
• Food workers with an illness that can be transmitted by contact with food or
through food should not work until fully recovered.
• Ground meat (e.g., hamburgers) must be cooked to a minimum temperature of
158°F to eliminate E. coli 0157:H7.
• Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that causes botulism. It is associated with
home-canned foods, smoked fish, garlic in oil and any food in an anaerobic
(without air) environment.
• Scombroid poisoning occurs from eating certain fish with high levels of
histamines (e.g., tuna, mackerel, bonito, mahi mahi, bluefish) due to time and
temperature abuse.
• Hands must be washed thoroughly after any activity in which they may have
become contaminated. For example, hands must be washed before starting work
and after handling raw foods, using the toilet, coughing, sneezing, smoking,
eating, drinking and scratching.
• The New York City Health Code requires hand washing sinks to be readily
accessible within 25 feet of all food preparation areas and in or near all toilets.
• The hand washing sinks must be provided with soap, hot and cold running water,
disposable towels or a hand dryer and a "Wash Hands" sign.
• The New York City Health Code requires that all food workers wear proper hair
restraints, clean aprons and outer garments, and not wear any jewelry on their
arms and hands (except for wedding bands and medical bracelets). Food workers
should also avoid wearing makeup.