As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers on, some people are becoming lax in three areas that are critical to decreasing the spread of the COVID-19 virus: face masks, social distancing and handwashing.

Employee hygiene in packing plants is now not just about protecting food, but protecting employees.

The American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) continues to closely monitor information on the Coronavirus (COVID-19); as shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In recent days there have been a lot of questions about what you should do if you have an employee that tests positive for COVID-19. There has been no clear step-by-step direction from regulatory agencies as to how you should precede other than what the patient who tested positive should do.

Communication with your customers is critical! They must feel confident that you are providing outstanding service while at the same time implementing actions to protect them. Remember, perception is the key.

Here is a sample company policy you should put in place immediately and communicate with employees:

Meat and poultry plant workers, along with supermarket meat department staffers, are having a major influence on the state of food safety.

Recall after recall, there are indications that employee hygiene and good manufacturing practices are not being followed and companies are not leveraging their most powerful tools, their employees, to control the process and prevent these events.