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SFA Provides More Clarity on Mask-Wearing Requirements for Food Handlers

2022-09-09 , 3:29 pm

Singapore eased the requirements for wearing masks on 29 August 2022, making it optional in indoor settings.

Apart from public transport and healthcare settings, you can roam about freely without an annoying piece of cloth on your face.

To know more about this, and why people are still wearing masks in Singapore, watch this to the end:

While most of us are free to go maskless and not catfish others, a group of people do not have this privilege to show their charming faces.

This includes your food handlers. Yes, that includes the handsome butcher at the wet market near your house.

So Who Exactly Are Counted As Food Handlers?

However, we’re often confused over who is considered a food handler. Is the cashier at BreadTalk considered a food handler?

Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in an updated advisory on 8 September 2022 that food handlers in wet markets working at counters that serve ready-to-eat or cooked food need to wear their masks.

In additional, all staff involved in the preparation of food and drinks in the following places are still required to put on their masks:

Hawker centres
Retail food establishments
Coffee Shops
Restaurants
Supermarkets
Trade Fairs
Non-retail food establishments (food processing establishments and slaughterhouses)

Likewise, for supermarkets, food handlers working at counters preparing ready-to-eat food like sushi, roast meat and deli counters, and bakeries will still need their masks.

So this answers the question: you’d never know if the BreadTalk cashier is catfishing you or not.

Are Spit Guards or Face Shields Allowed?

Spit guards are also an option if you want to impress the aunties and uncles at the supermarkets with your gorgeous face.

Here’s how a spit guard looks like:

Make sure it is a proper one that prevents any substance from coming out of your mouth or nose, contaminating the food.

Face shields, however, are not approved by SFA. Face shields have a large gap at the bottom which can still lead to food contamination.

Hopefully, this addresses the confusion of who gets to stop mask-fishing for good.

SFA Provides More Clarity on Mask-Wearing Requirements for Food Handlers

Are Spit Guards or Face Shields Allowed?

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