When is it required to wash your hands?

Washing your hands is a critical practice in food safety to prevent the spread of pathogens and ensure the safety of the food being prepared. Each scenario presented illustrates a situation where handwashing is necessary.

First, washing hands before working with food helps to eliminate any germs that may have been transferred onto your hands from various surfaces or materials, significantly reducing the chances of contamination.

Second, washing hands after touching your face or mouth is essential because these areas can harbor bacteria and viruses. This step helps to avoid transferring those contaminants to food, which could lead to foodborne illnesses.

Finally, washing hands after using the restroom is a well-established requirement in food handling. This is crucial, as germs from the restroom can easily spread through unwashed hands, contaminating food and surfaces.

Therefore, recognizing that all these situations require handwashing underscores the importance of maintaining hygiene in food preparation environments, making the answer that encompasses all these scenarios the most accurate choice.