Hazards & Contamination

As a food handler, you must always be aware of any hazards that may contaminate food. There are four types of contaminants that pose a safety risk to food and the people consuming it. These are chemical, physical, biological and allergenic.

Chemical contamination is when chemicals end up in or on food, such as pesticides or cleaning products. It can cause severe illness and can even be fatal. You can avoid it by thoroughly washing fruit and vegetables to get rid of the pesticides, storing products correctly, not using cleaning products around food and not touching pest bait boxes.

Physical contamination is caused when objects end up in food, such as animal bones and feathers, insects, dust, wood splinters, bits of glass, plastic bag ties, or things that were once attached to the food handler – such as hair, a plaster or jewellery. You can avoid it by keeping work surfaces clean and tidy, making sure the equipment you use isn’t broken or loose, removing jewellery, emptying your pockets before you start work and not wearing loose clothing or skin coloured plasters.

Biological contamination includes bacteria, viruses, mould, or natural poisons in the food itself. Biological contamination can be caused by the natural decay of food, incorrect storage, or if a food handler has an illness and contaminates the food. Bacteria are the most common cause of food poisoning. You can avoid it by keeping your workplace clean and tidy, washing your hands regularly, wearing protective clothing, and handling raw food with special care as well as keeping it separate from other food. It’s also important to remember that what is harmless to one person can be a contaminant to another.

Allergenic contamination is when anyone with food intolerances or allergies has a bad reaction to seemingly harmless food. The reaction can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the circumstances. You can see our additional resources for a list of the common allergens.