Handwashing is a fundamental tool in food handling and must be done before and after performing a task, every time there is a change of activity, after going to the toilets, after eating, after touching the hair, mouth, nose (such as when adjusting the cap or mask), after performing cleaning tasks and whenever it is deemed necessary. For this, it is very important to designate an exclusive area for handwashing that has the necessary elements to carry out the procedure properly. The main elements correspond to a sink, ideally with a pedal or knee pad operation, an antibacterial soap dispenser, a paper towel dispenser or a forced air hand drying equipment and a trash can. Recently, a modification was made to the Sanitary Regulation of Food where the use of nail brushes is exempted to handlers, so it is no longer a mandatory requirement.
Handwashing is a technique, and it should be done methodically. The following image shows us the step-by-step procedure for handwashing: