How can food handlers prevent the spread of norovirus?

Preventing the spread of norovirus relies significantly on practicing good hand hygiene. Norovirus is highly contagious and is often transmitted through contaminated hands, surfaces, or food. When food handlers do not wash their hands effectively, they can transfer the virus from their hands to food or surfaces, leading to outbreaks.

Good hand hygiene includes washing hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the restroom, changing tasks, or handling raw food. This practice is crucial because norovirus can survive on surfaces and be resilient to various sanitizers. Therefore, even though other actions like wearing gloves and cooking food thoroughly are important in food safety, they cannot replace the fundamental need for clean hands in preventing the spread of norovirus.

The other choices, while beneficial in certain contexts, do not directly address the critical role that handwashing plays in preventing norovirus transmission. Gloves can still transfer pathogens if worn improperly, and cooking food thoroughly is more relevant to preventing bacterial infections rather than viral ones like norovirus. Serving food immediately helps with freshness but does not mitigate the risk of contamination once the food is prepared.