When should you wash your hands while preparing food?

Handwashing is a critical practice in food safety and hygiene, especially during food preparation. It's essential to wash your hands after using the restroom to prevent the transfer of harmful bacteria and viruses that may be on your hands. This step is crucial because the restroom is a place where contamination can easily occur, and if proper handwashing is skipped, it can lead to foodborne illnesses when you handle food afterward.

While there are other times when handwashing is important, such as before starting food preparation or after handling raw meat, the act of washing hands after using the restroom is non-negotiable. It ensures that any pathogens that could potentially harm consumers are dealt with immediately, thereby maintaining health standards in food handling. Regular handwashing throughout the food preparation process, not limited only to when hands look dirty or on an hourly schedule, is the best practice to follow for overall food safety.