Food safety with alcohol hand sanitizer

[kenny1999]

over past few months I can see many people around intensively rubbing
their hand with alcohol hand sanitizer before they eat, I don't often use
it though.

I think any cleaning without water cannot wash away dirty thing totally,
at least I don't feel comfortable with it.

In addition, I always suspect that if there could be any chemical, not
immediately hazardous though, be left on hand and eaten with food

Is my thought possible or not?

 

[dragnlaw]

Washing your hands with soap and water is far preferable to hand sanitizer.
You are right as the water will wash away lumps of whatevers that hand sanitizer just moves around - even if it has sterilized it (to some degree)!

so yes, I agree with you 100%

Cooked food should be completely safe to eat. If you are going to 'pick up' anything it will be from the dish or utensils.

If you must eat out - are you talking street vendors? Why don't you carry your own small plate and utensils. They could possibly place the food directly on your plate without having to touch it.

ps - I don't think, if your hands air dry, you will get enough residue from sanitizer to affect anything.
Yes, if you are eating hand food, you should probably (preferably) wash or sanitize your hands before.
We need to be careful but don't get paranoid!

 

[Just Cooking]

Washing your hands with soap and water is far preferable to hand sanitizer.
You are right as the water will wash away lumps of whatevers that hand sanitizer just moves around - even if it has sterilized it (to some degree)!

so yes, I agree with you 100%


We need to be careful but don't get paranoid!

I agree..

Ross

 

[Andy M.]

Hand sanitizer should be used when you don't have soap and water available.

 

[taxlady]

If I were going to restos now, I would wash my hands in the washroom and possibly use hand sanitizer when sitting down. I would do that if I had to touch anything with my hands to get from the washroom to the table, things like the door handle / doorknob of the washroom, the back of my chair. Might be able to only touch those things with a paper towel or tissue protecting my hand.