Final answer:
To minimize the risk of contamination in food preparation, food handlers should wear a clean hat. This helps to contain hair and prevent it from falling into the food, which is a requirement of restaurant health codes.
Step-by-step explanation:
To reduce the risk of food handlers touching their hair while working with food, they should wear a clean hat. This is a critical aspect of maintaining hygiene in food preparation areas. Long hair can be a source of contamination, so it is essential to keep it contained. Restaurant health codes often mandate that those working with food wear hats or other hair restraints such as hairnets to prevent stray hairs from falling into the food.
Wearing a clean hat is an easy and effective way to achieve this. Additionally, food handlers should be sure to tie back long hair and avoid wearing anything on their heads that might fall into food, such as large barrettes. Although putting hair in a ponytail and shaving facial hair can minimize risk, these alone do not ensure that hair will not contaminate the food, making the use of a hat or hairnet more effective for this purpose.