Guide to Procedures

and Measures for Safe

Handling of Food
During the COVID19- Pandemic
 This Guidance
This guidance aims to address key issues related to food
safety and provide precautionary measures for operat-
ing retail food stores, food services related to pick-up
and delivery services. These measures promote good
hygiene practices that limit the risk of transmitting
COVID-19 and other viruses.

The guidance addresses important considerations for

how food products offered at retail food stores, and
food services sector can be safely handled and de-
livered to the public. It further covers best practices
necessary for employee’s health, including cleaning,
sanitizing, and use of proper personal protective equip-
ment (PPE). The guidance includes five sections, name-
ly, Keep Healthy, Managing Operations in a Retail Food
Store, Food Services Sector, Managing Food Pick-Up
and Delivery, and Food Takeaway. In addition to this
one section for the consumer titled “Dear Consumer –
It’s Also Your Responsibility”

ADAFSA-26741-6-2020
Scope

Retail food stores & Transportation, Food

Consumer
Food services sector pickup and delivery

This guidance is not a comprehensive list, therefore, ADAFSA encourages consulting the references the issuance of
other competent authorities. This guidance may be subjected for update to include new information from a relevant
international organization such as World Health Organizations (WHO) and we encourage readers to keep apprised
with relevant publication in this regard, including circulars issued by ADAFSA, and Abu Dhabi Department of Health.
1. Keep Healthy
• Instruct employees with symptoms associated with
COVID-19 to report immediately to their supervisors.

• Instruct employees who are well but know they have

been exposed to COVID-19, to notify their supervisor
and follow the Department of Health (DOH) directions.

• Inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to

COVID-19 in the workplace, if an employee is confirmed
to have COVID-19 and then they need to follow DOH di-
rections, while maintaining confidentiality.
• In case of the presence of any symptoms such as (fever,
cough, pain in the throat, shortness & breathing difficul-
ty, headache or any symptoms that may pose a health
risk) on any person present in the food establishment or
in one of its facilities, follow the below steps:
1. Symptomatic employees should be excluded from
work immediately and seek medical advice.
2. Exposed employees to be treated as potential cases
and shall perform COVID-19 test once main sympto-
matic employee is confirmed to be positive.
3. Immediate disinfection of the facility (Routine disin-
fection of the facility shall be maintained).

For surface disinfection, only approved and commercially available products with a demonstrated effectiveness against
human coronaviruses should be used. Such products contain chemical substances such as:
• Sodium hypochlorite,
• Quaternary ammonium compounds, or
• Hydrogen peroxide.

Alcohol can be used for surfaces where the use of bleach is not suitable. When handling any disinfectants, the manufac-
turer’s instructions for use on the label, as well as safety precautions should always be observed to avoid harmful effects.
This may include ensuring proper ventilation, and the use of proper PPE (i.e. disposable gloves, and eye protection).
2. Managing Operations in a
Retail Food Store, Food Services

Can COVID-19 be passed on through food?

Current scientific advice is that COVID-19 is very unlikely to be

spread by food. Close contact with an infected individual via
sneezing, coughing or picking up the virus from contaminated
surfaces and then transfer by hands to face (eyes, nose and
mouth) contact are all transmission routes that need to prevent
with good hand hygiene and social distancing.
The advice to food businesses and consumers is to maintain
good hygiene practices and to wash hands regularly. Thorough
cooking also will kill the viruses.
Continue to follow established food safety regula-
tion and ADAFSA food safety guide. Copy of these
regulation and guide is available on ADAFSA website
and application:

Click below to know more

• Food Law No (2) for the year 2008, Food Law

• Regulation No. (6) for the year 2020, Food Hygiene throughout the Food Chain

• Code of Practice No. (13) Food Hygiene for Food Service

• Code of Practice No. (17) A Guide to the Preparation of a HACCP-based Food

Safety Management System for Food Service Contractors

• Code of Practice No. (19) A Guide to the Preparation of a HACCP-based Food

Safety Management System for International Restaurant Chains

• Code of Practice No. (20) A Guide to the Preparation of a HACCP-based Food

Safety Management System for Local Restaurant Chains

• Code of Practice No. (22) A Guide to the Preparation of a HACCP-based Food

Safety Management System for Local Restaurant Chains.

• Code of Practice No. (24) A Guide to the Preparation of a HACCP-based Food

Safety Management System for Small Businesses
Important COVID-19 recommendations, implement work-
place controls to reduce transmission among employees,
such as those described below that are included:
Regular Monitoring
• Pre-Screen - Ensure that the employees are med-
ically fit to work inside the food establishment,
while maintaining all employee’s absence re-
cords, especially carriers and infected.

• Employers should measure the employee’s tem-

perature and assess symptoms prior to them
starting work. Ideally, temperature checks should
happen before the individual enters the facility.

• All employees shall avoid any behavior that con-

tributes to contamination, such as wearing jewel-
ry, smoking, spitting, chewing, eating, sneezing,
or coughing while handling food.

• Food establishment employee shall wash and

disinfect their hands regularly.
 THE PROPER HAND WASHING TECHNIQUE

Wet hands under Use enough soap to Rub all parts of hands
warm running water form a good lather with soap and water

Lather for at least 20 Rinse hands thoroughly Dry hands thoroughly,

seconds, vigorously and with running water using disposable paper
thoroughly rubbing towels, if possible
Hands should be washed:
• On arrival at work. • After handling and opening packaging, money,
receipts and cleaning supplies.
• On entering any service area.
• After removing gloves and aprons and before
• Before handling any food. putting on new ones.
• After touching anything that customers, employee or • Any time your hands are contaminated.
delivery drivers may have contaminated.
• After touching rubbish.
• After touching hand contact surfaces such as handrails,
door handles. • Regularly.

• Always after using the toilet or going into the toilet areas.

• After touching your face, sneezing or coughing.

• In between ALL tasks.

• After cleaning.

• After smoking.
Use Proper PPEs:

• Employees shall wear protective clothing including head

covers, bear-covers, gloves & masks before handling food.

• Gloves must be changed frequently, and hands must be

washed in between changing of gloves and when gloves
are removed. Gloves must be changed after carrying out
non-food related activities such as opening/closing doors
by hand, and emptying bins. Employees should be aware
that wearing gloves can allow bacteria to build up on the
surface of the hands, so hand washing is extremely im- I am wearing gloves, is handwashing still important?
portant when gloves are removed to avoid subsequent
contamination of food.
• Proper hand washing is extremely important, whether
• Employees should not touch their mouth, nose and eyes using gloves or not. If using gloves, hand washing should
be carried out before putting gloves on, between glove
when wearing gloves.
changes and after gloves are removed.

• The problem with the use of gloves is that if employee

are not given proper training in food safety, gloves are
often seen as a barrier to food contamination. Employ-
ee may then carry out many non-food related tasks (e.g.
handling money, emptying bins, wiping counters) while
wearing the same pair of gloves that they then use to
prepare food.

• When wearing gloves for a long period, without fre-

quent changing and hand washing, bacteria on the skin
rapidly multiply due to the warm, moist environment
created by the gloves. If the gloves tear or are removed
and food is handled without hand washing, a high num-
ber of bacteria can be transferred to the food.
Social Distance:
• It is extremely important that employee can keep them-
To implement social distancing,
selves and others safe. Employee must always stay two food businesses could:
meters away from each other. People can be infected but
not show any symptoms. Ensure all employee understand
• limit the number of employees in a kitchen or food prepa-
what is expected of them and make sure their working area
is reviewed and rearranged if necessary, to allow this to ration area at any one time.
happen safely. For example, you may have to put in extra
controls that say only one person can be in the walk-in • space out workstations and food preparation areas,
chiller at any time. if possible.

• limit the number of people (employee, delivery drivers, cus-

• Make sure this two-meter rule applies at all times – this tomers) who can come into your premises at any one time.
includes in the kitchen, lunch and break times, and monitor
compliance with this. • use spacing measures (e.g. floor markers) at tills or queues,
if possible.
Disinfect and Clean work space

• Clean and disinfect all surfaces in the establishment regularly,

especially the surfaces in the food services galleries include
Be sure when you use cleaning detergent, that tables, and follow all directions of the health authorities related
you have it from approved supplier, and it has to the environmental cleaning of the establishment.
Emirates Authority for Standardization and Me-
trology (ESMA) approval, or other competent • Ensure that all facilities, equipment, tools & vehicles in use, and
their associated operations are clean & properly disinfected.
authorities.
• Provide disinfectant at every entrances of the establishments.
For more information you may need to contact
ESMA • The handles of shopping trolleys or carts should be frequently
cleaned and sanitized using either alcohol-based sanitizers or
chlorine-based disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite). Sanitizers,
Emirates Authority for Standardization paper towels and trash bins should be placed outside the retail
and Metrology (ESMA) premises close to the trolley park for customers to use.
Update Procedures

• It is important to update your procedures with Training / Awareness

these changes to demonstrate you have consid-
• Proper training for food employees with new or altered
ered any food safety hazards and the controls duties and that they apply the training according to estab-
necessary to minimize risks to food safety. Ensure lished procedures.
all employee are aware of these changes and that
training records are kept. • Train employees on cleaning and disinfecting procedures,
and protective measures.
• You must put in place a process, at the point of or- • Help educate employees and customers on importance
dering, to establish whether a customer is self-isolat- of social distancing: Signs Audio message Consider using
ing or ill. The process should include how this infor- every other check-out lane to aid in distancing.
mation is communicated to drivers and/or riders to
minimize the risk to them of COVID-19 transmission.
Laundry
• Uniforms are a potential source of transmission. Ensure
employee wear clean uniforms at all times. All uniforms
must be washed at temperatures above 60°C or higher
or use a laundry sanitizing agent if the fabrics cannot be
washed at high temperatures.

• It is recommended as standard practice in food business-

es that uniforms are laundered commercially. If you are
unable to wash items immediately, leave in a sealed bag
for at least three days and wash as normal.

• You may need to invest in new uniforms if you are unable

to follow this advice. Where employee are washing their
uniforms at home, they should ensure they are washed
and stored separately from another household laundry.
3. Managing Food Pick-Up
and Delivery
Food Packaging

• Avoid using reusable dishes cups & spoons, (such

as metallic dishes, glass cups & metal spoons) for
customers & replace them with single use items As per the regulation food packaging shall comply
(disposable). with UAE Assessment Scheme (ECAS) According
to the technical requirements of the cabinet reso-
• Food packaging must comply with the legislation, lution No. 20 for the year 2015, to ensure that food
be clean and suitable for food use. Ensure it is packaging is comply with the regulation, you can
stored hygienically at your business before use. check whether it is food safe by looking for a sym-
bol that looks like a glass and a fork. You can also
check if it is marked ‘for food contact’.
Delivery containers / boxes and bags
• If boxes and bags need to keep food hot or cold, then
choose appropriate insulated carriers. They should be
easy to clean and disinfect. You should use the two-
stage cleaning process to disinfect containers internal-
ly and externally. Ensure effective disinfection at the
start of the day, before carrying food and after deliver-
ies, as well as regularly throughout the day.

• Do Not use Delivery containers / boxes and bags to

transport goods other than foods where this could be
a source of contamination.

• Allow for separation of food from non-food items, like

detergents and toiletries.

• Allow for separation of raw foods that require cooking

from foods that will not be cooked before eating.

Remember - Temperature control:

Hot food should be provided to customers at 63°C or above and cold food at 5°C or colder. To
achieve this, it is recommended to keep distances short and limited to within a 30-minute radius.
You should carry out periodic checks to ensure the food is maintained at a safe temperature, ei-
ther hot or cold, and record this in your due diligence records.

If ice packs are used, these should be cleaned and sanitized as per the insulated box or bag in
between every use.
Delivery Driver / Personnel
• Remember that delivery drivers are considered food • The driver must be provided with hand sanitizer.
handlers and therefore must be given basic induc-
tion on safe food handling, personal hygiene and • You must implement a drop-off system where the order is
reporting of any infections or illness. Check drivers placed at the customer’s door and contact is made via the
for signs and symptoms of coronavirus and record bell or phone whilst the driver or rider moves back from the
in your due diligence records. order to allow for a two-meter social space.

• Drivers and riders must hand wash or sanitize be-

fore and after collection as they could cross con-
taminate between the restaurant and the customer.

Social distancing when delivery packages, Social distancing of two meters must be used at all times.
Transport vehicles must: Driver pick-ups and drop-offs

• Be kept clean and in good condition. • Find a low risk area for food pick-ups. This will avoid the
need for drivers to enter kitchen areas or come into con-
• Allow for the separation of foods from other goods tact with kitchen employee.
that may cause contamination. For example, plants or
cleaning chemicals. • If kitchen employee accidently come into contact with any
items used by delivery drivers or riders, they need to en-
• Allow for separation of raw foods that require cooking sure they wash their hands before moving on to another
from foods that will not be cooked before eating. task.

• Consider how you will accept payment, for example up-

• Be thoroughly cleaned if used for goods other than
front or on delivery. Cashless systems should be imple-
food to ensure no contamination. mented due to hygiene reasons.

• Your drivers and riders will require training to ensure they

carry out their job safely and to ensure excellence in cus-
tomer service. use related ADAFSA guidelines for Training.
4. Food Takeaway
• If you are operating a collection or take-away service, cus- • You could also post signage – here is some suggested
tomers must be encouraged to sanitize their hands upon wording that can be used for this:
arrival at the premises.
Physical distancing. To protect our customers and
• Place hand sanitizer at the entrance with a sign asking cus- employee at this time, we are actively managing the
tomers to use it before entering. Post signage at the door number of customers who can come into our premises
– here is some suggested wording that can be used for this: at any one time. Please make sure you stand two me-
ters apart using the marked lines on the floor. When
For the safety of everyone, please use this hand at the front wait behind the line until called forward.
sanitizer before entering – do not enter if you are ill. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.

• You should encourage non-cash payments and designate

a low risk area for hand-over of the food. This should
be well away from the kitchen and at a distance from
as many employee as possible. Employee handing over
food should place it down and keep a sensible distance
from the customer. This area should be regularly sanitized
throughout the day and employee should wash their hands
after each handover.

• You should try to adopt a one-in-one-out policy and

identify allocated collection times for customers to avoid
queuing outside the premise. If this is not possible, then
you should ensure a queue control system is imple-
mented, inside and outside your premises, ensuring the
two-meter distancing requirement is applied.
5. Dear Consumer –
It’s Also Your Responsibility
• Stay Home. • If you’re picking up prepacked groceries, open your
car door yourself rather than having the person
• Avoid direct contact with the deliveryman. Ask the bringing the items to your car touch the handle.
restaurant in advance to keep your food order on the
doorstep or inside the building's lobby. • Keep a safe social distance not less than 2 meters
while waiting in the line or receiving your order from
• Place the delivery bag inside the sink directly, take the window.
your food, throw the empty bag in the trash can, and
finally disinfect the sink. • Wearing gloves helps to avoid the touching of con-
taminated surfaces while you are outside home.
• Transfer the food to another clean dishes and avoid
touching, using or storing the disposable delivery dishes. • Don’t accompany children and elderly people to
avoid getting infection.
• Wash your hands for 20 seconds before you start
eating your meal. • Wash your hands immediately upon returning home
with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• Use the online payment services such as, contact-
less bank cards, or mobile payment services such • Take off your shoes outside the house.
as, Apple Pay or Google Pay. In case the direct cash
payment, try to avoid touching.
References

• Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – WHO

• FAO/WHO International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)

• U.S Food and Drug Administration

• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health UK

• Food Safety Authority of Ireland

• Haringey Council- Landon

• Association of Convenience Stores-UK