It is important to maintain good hygiene practices around open food displays, with ready-to-eat food products such as salad bars, fresh produce displays and bakery products. Consumers should always be advised to wash fruits and vegetables with potable water prior to consumption. Both customers and staff should strictly observe good personal hygiene practices at all times around open food areas.
In order to hygienically manage open food displays and to avoid the transmission of COVID-19 through surface contact, food retailers should:
- Maintain frequent washing and sanitizing of all food contact surfaces and utensils.
- Require food service workers to frequently wash hands, and, if using gloves, these must be changed frequently;
- Require food service workers to frequently clean and sanitize counters, serving utensils and condiment containers.
- Make available hand sanitizer for consumers on their way in and out of the food premises.
- Should consider not openly displaying or selling unwrapped bakery products from self-service counters. Bakery products on open, self-service displays in retail stores should be placed in plastic/cellophane or paper packaging. Where loose bakery products are displayed in retail stores, these should be placed in plexiglass display cabinets and placed in bags using tongs when customers are served.
- Ready-to-eat salads available in retail for self-serve, should also be placed behind plexiglass display cabinets and serving utensils should be frequently sanitized.