Food Service Facilities Research Articles

Smoke-free legislation impact on the hospitality sector in the Republic of Georgia

IntroductionComprehensive smoke-free (SF) policies reduce secondhand smoke exposure and improve population-level health outcomes. However, some decision-makers heed the tobacco industry’s argument that SF policies negatively impact the hospitality sector. This...

Salt reduction attempts in workers after specific food service facility guidance provided by a public health center: A case study at a worksite in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture

Objective The Kawagoe City Public Health Center implemented a project to reduce salt intake through specific food service facility guidance in workplace cafeterias. Here, we report the study results.Methods The target worksite was company A, with approximately 270 employees, located in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. There were 214 participants (approximately 80%). The project was conducted from November 2019 to November 2021. The long-term goal was to decrease the number of hypertensive cases in the city. Project outcomes included decreased salt intake, urinary sodium/potassium ratio, and average blood pressure. The project aimed to improve the cafeteria menu, focusing on salt reduction by offering Smart Meals® and reducing the salt equivalents in all menus. The project output indicators included reduced amount of salt in cafeteria menu items, increased frequency of cafeteria use, increased positive evaluations of the cafeteria, and increased daily awareness of the need for salt reduction. Spot urine samples, blood pressure measurements, and self-administered questionnaire data were collected during annual physical examinations. The amount of salt in the cafeteria menu was evaluated by receiving monthly data from the food service company to which company A outsourced its cafeteria operations.Results The analysis included 102 individuals with complete data from to 2019-2021. Estimated salt intake (g/day) from spot urine decreased from 10.3±2.1 in 2019 to 9.8±2.4 in 2020 and 9.5±2.0 in 2021 (P=0.003). Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) decreased from 114.7±12.5 in 2019 to 111.7±12.1 in 2020 and 110.6±12.0 in 2021 (P=0.010). Compared to 2019, changes in dietary salt equivalents in cafeteria menus in 2020 and 2021decreased for set meals A and B, curries, and noodles (P<0.001).Conclusion We offered Smart Meals® and reduced salt equivalents in all workplace cafeteria menus. After 1-2 years, employees' salt intake and blood pressure levels were lower. These results provide implications for the implementation of food environment improvements in public health centers and other local government agencies to promote the Health Japan 21 (third term) strategy.

Food Safety Practices of Food Handlers in China and their Correlation with Self-reported Foodborne Illness

Food service facilities are important sites where foodborne diseases have been reported to occur frequently. This study aims to determine the correlation between self-reported foodborne diseases and food-safety practices followed by food handlers of various food service facilities. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March 1, 2022 to December 30, 2022 in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and having the selected food handlers fill in a self-compiled questionnaire. Of the 1072 food handlers included in the study, 88 (8.2%) reported having experienced symptoms of foodborne diseases in the past 4 weeks. The following food-safety practices correlated with self-reported foodborne diseases: (1) infrequently using 3-compartment sinks to separately clean different types of raw food materials (P < 0.05, OR = 2.312); (2) infrequently removing non-edible parts of aquatic products outside a specific room for food processing (P < 0.001, OR = 3.916); (3) infrequently immediately refrigerating cold dishes prepared in advance to be consumed later (P < 0.001, OR = 4.048); (4) often store perishable foods at 8–60°C in the indoor environment after cooking and before eating (P < 0.05, OR = 2.068); (5) infrequently reheating cooked perishable food stored at 8–60°C for more than 2 h before eating (P < 0.05, OR = 1.934); and (6) often storing raw and cooked food in the same container (P < 0.001, OR = 3.818). Hence, a better supervision of food-safety practices of catering workers may reduce the frequency of foodborne-disease outbreaks in food service facilities.

Modeling the local geography of country music concerts in U.S. urban areas: insights from big data analysis of live music events

Music cities leverage live music as a tool for urban revitalization. Identifying influential industries in U.S. urban areas that have shaped the country music landscape can provide valuable insights into the role of the music industry in urban development. The ‘big data’ of country music concerts obtained from Spotify were examined to discern the relative importance of food and transportation services in explaining the spatial distribution of country music concerts from 2009 to 2019. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analyses show that both food and transportation services have a positive relationship with country music concerts. The analysis also reveals that the majority of country music concerts occurred in urbanized areas. Although country music has successfully spread throughout the entire country, there are distinctive regional clusters in large cities such as Nashville, Dallas, New York City, and Austin. The result also indicates the strength of GWR in improving and sustaining the explanatory power of models. The GWR was implemented to execute four models separately considering different explanatory variables and a comparative analysis of the model performance then suggested that food service appears to perform best, whilst bus service performs better than train service and air service. These findings highlight the roles of food and transportation service facilities that have made country music — a form of Southern culture visible in the urban landscape. This study encourages music cities to harness the potential of big data's power to foster vibrant industrial ecosystems in urban environments.

Formation of biosafety and greening of the production environment of food production with application of anolyte

Introduction: Electrochemically activated aqueous solutions are widely used in medical institutions, animal husbandry, as well as in large food processing facilities. This work presents a literature review on the use of electrochemically activated solutions in the food industry. These solutions can be used as a safe means for processing food raw materials, equipment, food containers, and surfaces of foodservice facilities. The question of using activated aqueous solutions in relation to foodservice establishments is not fully explored in the scientific literature.Purpose: The aim of the research is to study the possibility of using electrochemically activated aqueous solutions as safe and environmentally friendly means for treating objects in the production environment to eliminate the risk of contamination by microorganisms.Materials and Methods: Surfaces of the production environment were selected as the objects of study, including a table, scales, a knife, a slicer, and a gastronorm container. Sweet pepper fruits of the "Avangard" variety were chosen as non-heat-treated food products. An electrochemically activated aqueous solution of chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide compounds with a concentration of active substances of 0.5 ± 0.05 g/L (Anolyte ANK-SUPER) was chosen as the treatment agent. Microbiological studies were conducted using XLD Agar medium and petrifilms. To assess the effectiveness of treatment, microbiological studies were conducted with the determination of Coliform Bacteria (BGKP) and Mesophilic Aerobic and Facultative Anaerobic Microorganisms (KMAFAnM). To achieve acceptable microorganism counts for counting purposes, the tenfold dilution method was used. The residual active chlorine concentration was determined using the iodometric method to determine the actual concentrations of working solutions.Results: The use of undiluted disinfectant with a concentration of 0.5 ± 0.05 g/L confirmed the effectiveness of electrochemically activated solutions against Coliform Bacteria (BGKP), with a significant reduction in the content of Mesophilic Aerobic and Facultative Anaerobic Microorganisms (KMAFAnM) compared to control samples. However, the results of the experiments suggest that parameter selection is required, specifically the concentration of the disinfectant and the duration of treatment depending on the object. The data obtained from preliminary experiments characterize the potential use of reduced concentrations of the working solution (no less than 0.05 ± 0.005 g/L of active chlorine), but do not confirm the possibility of full-scale application of the used concentrations due to the lack of quantitative data on the degree of contamination of the initial surfaces. The possibility of using the solutions as a single agent for treating both working surfaces and fruit and vegetable products has been demonstrated.Conclusion: As a result of the conducted research, the effectiveness of disinfectants based on electrochemically activated solutions against Escherichia coli bacteria (BGKP) and the reduction of Mesophilic Aerobic and Facultative Anaerobic Microorganisms (KMAFAnM) has been confirmed. In addition, among the possible prospects for research, determining the minimum concentrations and contact times for achieving stable disinfecting effects can be mentioned. The results obtained showed that the use of electrochemically activated solutions ensured the biological safety of treated production objects and surfaces of thermally untreated food products. An alternative method of using electrochemically activated solutions as a universal environmentally friendly agent has been proposed. Thus, in foodservice establishments, an effective "green" technology based on electrochemically activated solutions can be implemented.

단체급식서비스 공간 계획 요소에 대한 건축가와 급식 관리자의 중요도 인식 비교 : 학교와 산업체 급식소를 중심으로

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to derive important space planning elements through a comparison of perceptions of importance between foodservice facility managers and architects, and to present a design guideline that architects can use in remodeling or new construction. Method: For the research, the questionnaire was made based on the feedback from precedent research and preliminary surveys, and consisted of 4 major categories (architecture, indoor environment, sensibility, and convenience factors) and 23 sub-elements. A survey was conducted via e-mail to architects working in Korea and managers at schools and institutional foodservice facilities in the Yeongnam region. A total of 180 questionnaires were distributed, and 155 questionnaires out of 160 collected were used for analysis. Result: As a result of analysis, all three groups considered three elements of architectural factors (circulation, location and layout) and two elements of indoor environmental factors (Ventilation &Humidity control and Air conditioning & Heating system) as the most important ones. In particular, school foodservice managers recognized that two elements of indoor environmental factors (‘noise prevention and ‘size/ place/design of window’) and one of convenience factor (‘reasonable table configuration’) were relatively important to improve comfort in high-density school foodservice spaces. On the other hand, Institutional foodservice managers recognized that elements(‘Accessibility to the subsidiary space’ and ‘Inducing natural access from the outside to the inside through various entry types’) are relatively important to improve customer accessibility and convenience. Based on the research results, basic design guidelines that architects can use are proposed.

Neighborhood Availability and Use of Food, Physical Activity, and Social Services Facilities in Relation to Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents.

To evaluate the association of a combined measure of availability and use of facilities from the food environment and overweight (including obesity) among schoolchildren, while taking into account the physical activity and social-assistance environments. Cross-sectional study with a probabilistic sample of schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years living in a southern Brazilian city (n = 2026). Multilevel analyses were performed with overweight as outcome and the food environment as main exposure. Models were adjusted for the physical activity and social-assistance environments, as well as individual and other residential neighborhood characteristics. Greater availability of restaurants around the home was associated with higher odds of overweight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.06-1.85). Stronger associations were found for schoolchildren reporting to use restaurants (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.15-1.90). This association remained significant after adjusting for the presence of other food retailers. Schoolchildren who had social-assistance facilities around their homes, but reported not to use them, showed consistently higher odds of being overweight (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.01-1.78) as compared to schoolchildren who had these facilities near home and used them. The physical activity environment was not associated with the outcome. Availability and use of the food and social-assistance environments were significantly associated with overweight (including obesity) among the schoolchildren. Future research should consider the use of environmental facilities in combination to their geographical availability. Our results highlight the need for policies that limit the access to obesogenic food outlets by children and adolescents.

Potencial para alimentação saudável no ambiente alimentar de uma universidade pública brasileira

ABSTRACT Objective To identify the food environment healthy eating potential in the authorized food services on the campus of a Brazilian university. Methods This is an observational study carried out between March and April 2014 on a campus of a public university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The elements of the food environment were evaluated using an audit instrument, containing 86 questions: availability (amount of food services and types of food offered), convenience (days and hours of operation), incentives and barriers to healthy eating (nutrition information, payment strategies and food advertisements). Preparations based on whole grains and fresh or minimally processed products were considered healthy foods; and, preparations with high caloric density, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, desserts, cookies, and savory snacks were considered unhealthy food. The questionnaire allowed us to calculate a score for each service, which could range from 0 to 36 points, and indicates the potential for promoting healthy eating in the establishment, with higher scores indicating a greater presence of elements that contribute to healthy eating. The different types of food service facilities were compared based on the scores (p&lt;0.05 for statistical significance). Results Among the establishments evaluated, 24% were snack bars/cafeterias, 26%, restaurants, and 50% offered mixed services. Healthy food items were scarcely available in the establishments (fruits: 24%; vegetables: 20%; brown rice: 15%); while added-sugar beverages (98%), sweets and treats (76%) were widely offered. There was a higher frequency of advertising encouraging consumption of unhealthy items than that aimed at healthy foods (44% vs 30%). In general, the score was 13,2 points (SD=3.3) and the mean score for snack bars/cafeterias (9.3 points) was lower (p&lt;0,05) than that of restaurants and mixed establishments (14,4 points). Conclusion On the campus assessed, the food environment had limited potential for healthy eating, since elements that did not favor healthy food choices were more frequent.

Safety and security of mass food-service facilities

Safety and security of mass food-service facilities

Integrated Database Development Food and Nutrition Training Program on SEAMEO RECFON

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Food and Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON), already has a pretty good system, but there are some problems and the need for up-to-date information on food and nutrition topics and service facilities that support all activities. To support the process of monitoring and evaluating program achievement targets. SEAMEO RECFON requires a database system not only for operations but also for monitoring and evaluation needs. The system must be able to store and manage data on the results of achievements from program activities, document the results of analysis and other information. In this study, an Integrated Database System has been designed and implemented to achieve the achievement of training programs in the field of food and nutrition, using the System Development Life Cycles (SDLC) method with a prototyping development model that helps in system development. This system can store and collect various types of achievements along with related information such as student data, teacher data, school data, types of training, research programs, and other detailed information that supports the research process. The system also provides a feature for users to be able to report and submit data on participants and guidance schools and new colleagues. The system is implemented in prototype form and tested against functionality, performance, and security. The results expected by the Integrated Database system can help the operations of the Organizational Staff both for operations and an integrated data collection process and facilitate the process of monitoring and evaluating program achievement targets.

Assessment of Food Safety During Covid-19 Pandemic

SARS-CoV-2, a novel Coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Until now, foodborne or waterborne exposure to this virus has not been reported as the transmission route. However, the infected individual in the food production and service facility and, contaminated surfaces, may serve as the source of transmission route since Coronavirus can survive on the inanimate surfaces. Based on the available data, we reviewed the persistence of Coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces in the context of the food contact materials. Coronavirus persists on stainless steel, plastic and glass surfaces for a few days which are commonly used in food production and processing facilities. Therefore, appropriate food contact materials having fewer risk levels can be preferred. Additionally, using biocidal surfaces could help reduce the incidence of infections spread due to touching contaminated surfaces. In other parts of this review, appropriate inactivation procedures and ongoing food handling practices were explained. For prevention of virus transfer due to the contamination of food packaging material and also, food-handling by an infected person through food processing and serving, ongoing hygiene practices in food facilities should continue and inactivation procedures should be widened by taking into consideration the human Coronavirus and also, other foodborne viruses which have distinct properties compared to bacteria. Last of all, pandemics have impacts on the food supply chains, especially during harvest and logistics. Therefore, it is important to continue production and processing by raising awareness about food safety to ensure people in the food supply chain are not at risk of transmission.

Providing safe alternatives of rice cake in food service facilities for elderly

Providing safe alternatives of rice cake in food service facilities for elderly

Evaluation of food safety and health risk factors in food service establishments; a case study in Qom province, Iran

Foodborne diseases still occur and affect 30 % of people in the world annually. Existing data related to the status of food safety and health indicators of food services facilities in Qom province indicate that a low percentage of these centers have the necessary criteria in the principles of food safety. According to the factors affecting the promotion of food health and safety indicators, this study was conducted to identify and investigate the factors affecting the risk of food safety in food supply centers in Qom in 2018. In this cross-sectional study, the required data were obtained through validated questionnaires about food safety and environmental health of food services facilities (n=380). Also, the effectiveness of variables such as training on food safety principles through designing before and after study, educational certification, having trading licenses, ownership, urban health status and the age of operators, have been assessed by food safety factors based on relevant tests. The results showed that the training of food handlers in improving and upgrading food safety conditions has had a significant increase. (49 %, mean 5.44 %, SD 3.20 ±, p &lt; 0.001) Also variables such as education level (p &lt; 0.05) and educational certification (p &lt; 0.001) have been effective in increasing food safety and health standards. In order to improve the level of food safety, reviewing the process of educational programs, strengthening educational equipment and media and inter-sectorial coordination to strengthen the role of education should be planned. The food holders, managers of the food establishment and local health experts should enhance the food safety practice.

Prediction of the optimum heating duration for potatoes in steam convection ovens

Steam convection ovens (SCOs) can be used in food service facilities to boil various foods and soup. It is important to determine the required heating duration based on the number of cooking pans and weight of the ingredients. In this study, the relationship between heating duration and three factors were investigated: (i) number of cooking pans, (ii) total weight of the samples and water per cooking pan, and (iii) ratio of samples to the total weight. Changes in the center temperature and hardness of the potato were predicted based on the measured water temperature during heating at a combi mode (100 °C, steam saturation level 100%). The optimum heating duration (Θ) until the sample reached optimum hardness was calculated. The finite element method was used for these calculations. A multiple regression equation was obtained, in which the time until the water temperature reached 98 °C (tw98) was the objective variable and the three factors were explanatory variables. Moreover, the relationship between tw98 and Θ was expressed using a simple regression equation. Based on these results, it was possible to predict the Θ from the values of each factor. Thus, the prediction of optimum heating duration with parameters (i)–(iii) was easily facilitated.

위생안전관리를 위한 어린이 급식시설의 구토물처리 실태조사 : 경북, 충남 일부 지역 중심으로

The purpose of this study was to investigate current status of cleaning up vomitus for hygiene and safety management at children’s foodservice facilities in Gyeongbuk-do and Chungnam-do, Korea. The self-structured survey was carried on teachers and directors of 218 children’s foodservice facilities from May to October 2019. The statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 23.0 program. The outbreak of vomiting in children

Quantitative microbial risk assessment of pathogenic Escherichia coli in commercial kimchi in South Korea.

Owing to convenience, ease of preparation, and price, the consumption of commercial kimchi is gradually rising in South Korea. Here, we estimated the risk level posed by pathogenic Escherichia coli in commercial kimchi products using the quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) approach to develop measures for preventing potential foodborne outbreaks from kimchi consumption. We collected 610 samples of commercial kimchi products produced in Korea, 267 kimchi samples from foreign countries imported to Korea, and 187 raw materials used in kimchi preparation, and analyzed them for contamination with pathogenic E. coli. A Predictive model was developed to observe the survival characteristics of pathogenic E. coli. A dose-response model was selected, and the risk level was estimated using @RISK software. Although a prior epidemiological study indicated the frequent occurrence of foodborne outbreaks arising from contaminated kimchi products consumed in food service facilities, we found a low probability of foodborne illness caused by pathogenic E. coli in commercial kimchi products.

Has resistance to chlorhexidine increased among clinically-relevant bacteria? A systematic review of time course and subpopulation data.

Chlorhexidine (CHX) was introduced for use as an antimicrobial more than 70 years ago. CHX has been and continues to be used broadly for disinfecting surfaces in medical and food service facilities as well as directly on skin of humans and animals. Considering its widespread use over many decades, questions of resistance to CHX have been raised. Additionally, questions of possible coincident resistance to the biocide and resistance to clinically relevant antibiotics have also been raised. A number of important questions remain, including is there consistent evidence of resistance, what is the degree of resistance, especially among clinically isolated microbial strains, and what is the degree of resistance compared to the typical concentrations of the biocide used? Data for microbial species isolated over the last 70+ years were compiled to construct as complete a picture as practical regarding possible resistance, especially among species in which resistance to commonly used antibiotics has been noted to be increasing. This is a compilation and analysis of individual MIC values for CHX reported in the literature, not a compilation of the conclusions individual authors reached. The data were analyzed using straight-forward and robust statistical procedures to detect changes in susceptibility to CHX over time, i.e. linear regression. Linear regression was supplemented with the use of nonlinear least squares regression analysis to detect the presence of population parameters associated with subpopulations of microbial strains which exhibit increased resistance to CHX. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii were all found to have an increased resistance to CHX over time with the most profound change detected in A. baumannii. Additionally, subpopulations with log-normal distributions were found consistent with the presence of a baseline subpopulation of susceptible strains and a subpopulation with increased resistance to CHX. However, the CHX-resistant subpopulations did not correlate exactly with antibiotic resistance, so details of the relationship remain to be addressed. Increased resistance over time was not detected for Escherichia coli, Enterobacter faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, or Candida albicans, although a subpopulation with greater than baseline resistance to CHX was detected among strains of E. faecalis and C. albicans. A difference in susceptibility to CHX was also detected between methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) S. aureus strains. The levels of resistance to CHX detected were all markedly lower than concentrations routinely used in medical and food service applications. Reaching conclusions regarding the relationship between antibiotic and CHX resistance was complicated by the limited overlap between tests of CHX and antibiotic resistance for several species. The results compiled here may serve as a foundation for monitoring changes in resistance to CHX and possible relationships between the use of CHX and resistance to antibiotics commonly used in clinical medicine.

Formulation and Evaluation of Gel Based Herbal Hand Wash Using Extracts of Argemone Mexicana

The primary purpose of developing an herbal hand wash with a gel basis is to promote "personal hygiene." Hand hygiene is a requirement and one of the most critical processes in the preparation of meals, food service, and house and other day care facilities. On the market, antibacterial hand wash is composed of alcohol-based cleaning products, which have a number of disadvantages. An effort was made to develop a gel-based herbal hand wash utilising Argemone Mexicana extracts to avoid the adverse effects of synthetic hand wash preparations such as itching, dryness, irritation, and dermatitis. The antibacterial activity of the prepared gel hand wash toward E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa was determined using the Agar plate diffusion technique. Physical and chemical characteristics such as pH, Viscosity, Foam height, Foam retention, Anti-Microbial Activity, Skin irritation assessment, and other parameters were used to evaluate herbal hand wash, and the results were found to be within normal ranges with minimum to no adverse effects.

Assessment and Evaluation of Food Waste at AL-Khor Hospital -Hamad Medical Corporation in the State of Qatar

Background: Food waste (FW) has been linked with nutrient intake, menu planned, food acceptability, costs, and environmental impacts. Objectives: This project aims to evaluate FW in the units of AL-Khor hospital- Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in the state of Qatar. Methods: The evaluation of the FW of main meals and nourishments was performed over six months (Jan -June) / 2019, For each client, the type of diet and FW were evaluated during the length of the study (covering 563 meals and 211 snacks). The FW of the dish was calculated by the physical method by weighing before and after distribution. Dietary Intake Monitoring System (DIMS) was used to record plate contents before and after consumption for the 563 patients at 3 main meals and 3 snacks. Results: The average waste rate was calculated as the weighted average of food remaining in the plate in all meals and snacks in relation to the weight of served food. The current study allowed us to estimate that (26.8%) of the food served in general hospital was wasted. Conclusion: establishing an efficient communication structure involving all actors along the food supply chain contributes to decreasing food waste is crucial. Keywords: food waste; food service facilities; resource efficiency; plate waste (PW); serving losses, AKH, HMC. DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/109-04 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

Scientific Evidence Supports the Use of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers as an Effective Alternative to Hand Washing in Retail Food and Food Service Settings When Heavy Soiling Is Not Present on Hands

Suboptimal food worker health and hygiene has been a common contributing factor in foodborne disease outbreaks for many years. Despite clear U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Model Food Code recommendations for hand washing and glove use, food worker compliance with hand washing recommendations has remained poor for >20 years. Food workers' compliance with recommended hand washing guidelines is adversely impacted by a number of barriers, including complaints of time pressure, inadequate number and/or location of hand washing sinks and hand washing supplies, lack of food knowledge and training regarding hand washing, the belief that wearing gloves obviates the need for hand washing, insufficient management commitment, and adverse skin effects caused by frequent hand washing. Although many of the issues related to poor hand washing practices in food service facilities are the same as those in health care settings, a new approach to health care hand hygiene was deemed necessary >15 years ago due to persistently low compliance rates among health care personnel. Evidence-based hand hygiene guidelines for health care settings were published by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2002 and by the World Health Organization in 2009. Despite similar low hand washing compliance rates among retail food establishment workers, no changes in the Food Code guidelines for hand washing have been made since 2001. In direct contrast to health care settings, where frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHSs) in lieu of hand washing has improved hand hygiene compliance rates and reduced infections, the Food Code continues to permit the use of ABHSs only after hands have been washed with soap and water. This article provides clear evidence to support modifying the FDA Model Food Code to allow the use of ABHSs as an acceptable alternative to hand washing in situations where heavy soiling is not present. Emphasis on the importance of hand washing when hands are heavily soiled and appropriate use of gloves is still indicated.