Discover what jewelry can food handlers wear while working to ensure safety and compliance with food hygiene regulations.
Picture yourself in a busy kitchen, food crackling and spices filling the air with their aroma. You are focused on what you are doing, chopping vegetables, stirring sauces, and putting together dishes. Picture your ring coming off and into a fresh bowl of salad. Gross, isn’t it? That is why food handlers are cautioned, or, more typically, banned from wearing jewelry during work. Not only does this policy improve hygiene, but it also supports workplace productivity by ensuring a safe and distraction-free environment.
No matter if you are a chef, a line cook, or just starting out in the food industry, you should be aware of what food workers can wear as jewelry to the work station. First, it is a matter of cleanliness, but it is also a matter of safety, your safety, the safety of your fellow workers, and the safety of the consumers that will be enjoying what you have prepared. Let us examine the do’s and don’ts about wearing jewelry as a food worker.
Article Breakdown
Food handlers are allowed to wear jewelry.
Wearing jewelry is a big no-no in most food industries. Why is that? Jewelry is a physical hazard, an object that could drop into food, is a potential injury-causing item, or even contaminates.
The most significant reasons why food handlers should never wear jewelry are:
- Risk of choking: Rings, studs, and earrings have the potential to fall into food and lead to choking hazards to consumers.
- Bacteria carry: Rings and wristwatches, especially, carry debris and bacteria and are less efficiently washed by hands.
- Disruption of hand washing: Cleanliness of the hands matters most to food production, and jewelry will disrupt hand washing.
- Possible injuries: Jewelry can get lodged in kitchen appliances and lead to accidents or injuries.
Most of the food safety standards around the globe don’t permit kitchen staff to wear jewelry while and during serving. Rules will vary depending on your location, but the policy remains the
same: the less, the better when it comes to kitchen accessories. When you have been wondering what jewelry can food handlers wear while working, the less is generally the answer.
Necklaces are permissible on food handlers.
Technically, the U.S. Food Code is not supposed to have any regulations regarding necklaces. That it isn’t mentioned, though, is no indication that it is permissible.
Think about it, necklaces get dirty, sweaty, and full of bacteria, all things that so easily get transferred to food. And, worst of all, they get broken or drop into food and you don’t even know it. Picture yourself taking a bite out of a wonderful pasta dinner and finding that you have a broken necklace in your mouth, shudder!
Most food facilities have their employees take off all visible jewelry, including necklaces, as part of the requirement to prepare food. Unless you are aware of what jewelry can food handlers wear while working, necklaces are generally not permitted.
Chefs’ noses can be pierced.
I remember one situation where a friend, Jake, was a sous chef in a fancy restaurant. He wore a nose ring and was certain it would be fine. On his first day, though, the head chef insisted he remove it. Why? **Risk of cross-contamination. Facial jewelry, including nose rings, contain bacteria and pose a contamination threat. With or without a mask, you will unconsciously touch your nose ring and, in doing so, touch food or cutlery and transfer bacteria. So, a nose piercing is no issue, but one to food work is highly discouraged. There are a few kitchens and restaurants that do allow piercings if they are covered or secured, but it is work policy-dependent. This is just one more reason one should be aware **of what food handlers are allowed to wear to work.
You should not wear stud earrings while cooking.
At first glance, stud earrings are harmless. They are tiny, near the ear, and they do not dangle around, so what is the problem?
Yes, studs are less likely to come off than hanging earrings or hoops, but there is still a risk. If an earring is knocked into food, especially in a busy kitchen, a food worker might not even notice. This could lead to a potential serious choking risk to a customer.
Most restaurants and food establishments require employees to remove all earrings before handling food. In case you are not certain whether food handlers are allowed to wear any type of jewelry to work, stud earrings are also not allowed.
What about wedding rings? Are they an exception?
This is a common question by married food handlers, where they wear wedding rings every working day. Some food premises have an exemption to plain wedding rings without stones and engravings only. This is because wedding rings with stones and engravings can carry bacteria and dust, and are therefore not clean. But even if a wedding ring is allowed, hand cleanliness is to be maintained anyway. Some food handlers wear their rings under their glove, and others take them off during work.
If you are not certain what is acceptable under your work policy, ask your manager what food handlers are allowed to wear to work.
What Jewelry is Appropriate to Wear to Work in a Food Business
So is there any jewelry that is safe to wear when working with food? The answer is: very little. Here is what is generally acceptable:
Plain wedding bands (as per company policy)
Medical alert wristbands, though a few companies have them wrapped around their wrists to prevent contamination
Safe minor body piercings, unless they are excessively fidgeted
The rest, jewellery watches, bracelets, gem rings, and dangly jewellery, is usually prohibited. In case you have been wondering what jewelry can food handlers wear while working, the best thing is to wear nothing. — Tips for Food Handlers Who Love Jewelry If you are one of the individuals who just can’t get by without their bling, there are plenty of options:
✅ Keep jewelry safe: Don’t wear jewelry to work and store it in a locker or other secure storage during work.
✅ Use alternatives: Silicone rings, to just mention one, are an excellent alternative to wedding rings. They are safer, less to clean, and no bacteria.
✔️ Respect work policies: If there are work policies about jewelry in the work environment, best to follow. Food safety is most important.
✅ Wear a lanyard and medical IDs: If you do wear a medical alert bracelet, wear a medical ID necklace instead, under your work attire.
Key Takings:
- In the end, just isn’t worth it to wear jewelry to work.
- If you do wear a ring, watch, or even stud earrings, the risk, cross-contamination, food hazards, or even work injury, are just not worth the benefit.
- You have to play by food safety regulations if you want to work in food. And that means leaving bling behind when reporting to work.
- Here is how to put it: The best “accessory” to wear in the kitchen is clean hands and a clean workspace.
- So, what do you think? Have you been asked to leave jewelry off to work? Comment below! And don’t forget what jewelry can food handlers wear while working as jewelry, basically nothing!
Additional Resources:
- Jewelry Hygiene: This Wikipedia article explores the impact of jewelry on hand hygiene, highlighting studies that show increased bacterial contamination associated with ring-wearing.
- February Cartoon Food Safety and Jewelry: This resource discusses the risks associated with wearing jewelry in foodservice settings and explains why the FDA Food Code recommends that food handlers only wear plain rings while working.
- Food Handler Hygiene: This PDF from the USVI Department of Health emphasizes that food handlers should not wear earrings, watches, or rings, except for a plain wedding band, to prevent contamination.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Food Safety Guidelines:The CDC provides hygiene recommendations for food handlers, which include guidelines on wearing jewelry.
