1Who is a food handler, and why training?Manipulador de alimentos
A food handler is anyone who touches food at work: cooks it, serves it, stores it, sells it, packs it, or washes plates and kitchen tools. Waiters, bakery staff and warehouse staff are food handlers too.
What the law says: EU Regulation 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter XII) says the employer must make sure staff are trained in food hygiene for their job. The health inspector (inspector de sanidad) visits, watches how you work and asks for proof of training.
Why: to stop food poisoning (intoxicación alimentaria). It can be very dangerous for babies, pregnant women, old people and sick people. One mistake in a kitchen can make dozens of customers ill in one day.
Your duty when you are ill: if you have diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, a sore throat with fever, an infected wound or a skin infection, tell your manager before you touch food. They may give you work away from food until you are well.
Example: you wake up with diarrhoea but feel fine. Do not say "it's nothing". Call your manager before your shift starts.
Even with no symptoms: if a doctor tells you that you carry (portador) an illness that spreads through food, tell your manager too, even if you feel well. The law does not let this person work in the food area when there is a risk that the food gets contaminated.