Why this winter demands sharper hand-hygiene practices in catering

Winter 2025 has brought an alarming warning for the UK: hospitals are bracing for a ‘once-in-a-decade’ flu surge driven by a mutated strain of influenza. Source: The Guardian

For catering and food-service businesses, this is not just a health story—it’s an operational risk. Staff absenteeism, infection transmission and reputational damage all rise when viruses spread through the workplace. One of the strongest, most cost-effective defences? Good hand hygiene.

The link between dirty hands and airborne/respiratory viruses

It’s easy to equate hand-hygiene with food-borne pathogens alone, but respiratory illnesses (flu, colds) also travel via hands and surfaces.

• A meta-analysis found that frequent hand-washing reduced respiratory infection risk (e.g., cold/flu) by around 16–21%. Source
• Guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control emphasises washing hands (soap & water or alcohol rub) “often… after being in public spaces/transport, before eating … will help protect you from a number of infections, including influenza.” Source
• According to Public Health Wales, proper hand-washing “can prevent one in five respiratory illnesses like colds and flu – but it’s important to wash your hands effectively.” Source

In a food/catering environment, where staff handle food, enter/exit kitchens, touch shared surfaces and equipment, the hands are a key vector. A staff member touches a trolley, then a hand-rail, then food prep, or touches a sneeze catch-surface—viruses can hitchhike.

What the news is telling us (and what it means for you)

The Guardian article reports:

• A mutated strain of H3N2 is circulating, with an estimated R value ~1.4 (meaning each infected person may infect ~1.4 others). Source
• The flu season has started earlier than usual and may hit older/at-risk groups harder. Source
• While vaccination remains vital, non-pharmaceutical measures like hygiene still have a role.

For catering/food businesses this spells: higher risk of staff sickness, possible transmission between staff or to customers, and the need to tighten hygiene protocols beyond minimum legal compliance. Hand hygiene becomes not just a food-safety issue, but also a business-continuity issue.

Practical hygiene steps for food/catering teams

Here are actionable measures your business should emphasise — and tools from Glitter-Bug support many of these:

1. Rigorous hand-washing before and after key moments

• At minimum: before food handling, after using toilets, after coughing/sneezing/blowing your nose.
• Encourage washing with soap & water for at least 20–30 seconds (including backs of hands, between fingers, under nails). Source
• Ensure good drying of hands — damp hands transfer germs more easily. Source

2. Use of hand-sanitiser/hand-rub where washing isn’t practical

While soap & water is preferred, in many food-prep or service areas a high-quality alcohol hand-rub provides an important barrier. Especially after touching public surfaces (door handles, trays) or handling non-food items.

3. Training & behaviour-change tools

• Use visual aids (posters, stickers) to remind staff of “wash hands, clean tops, change gloves” etc.
• Run short interactive training sessions: staff often skip key steps (thumbs, between fingers, wrists) when tired/under pressure.
• Use monitoring tools (e.g., Glitter-Bug training kits) to demonstrate effectiveness of hand-washing and build habitual compliance.

4. Surface and shared-equipment touchpoint hygiene

Even though hand-washing is central, don’t neglect:

• Regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces (door handles, push plates, fridge doors).
• Staff awareness of not touching face/eyes/nose with unwashed hands, or handling food immediately after touching public surfaces.

5. Protect vulnerable staff & customers

With a more transmissible flu strain in circulation, any weak link (a staff member working while slightly ill, or relaxed hygiene) can escalate. Encourage staff to stay home when unwell, and maintain higher hygiene standards across team and environment.

Why investing in hygiene training pays off

• Fewer staff sick days = more consistent staffing levels, less reliance on cover/agency.
• Reduced risk of food incidents or reputational damage (customers trust cleanliness).
• Compliance with food-safety standards becomes more robust — hygiene is not only about food-borne bugs, but also cross-transmission of respiratory/gastro pathogens.
• Peace of mind: when many businesses may struggle during this surge, being ahead on hygiene is a differentiator.

With a potentially severe flu wave ahead, your first line of defence in the catering/food environment is disciplined hand hygiene. It’s not glamorous, but it’s effective—and for your business it’s about staff wellbeing, customer safety and operational resilience.

When soap meets skin, bacteria and viruses lose their grip: that’s the power of hand hygiene. Equip your team, refresh training, and use the right tools—so you’re not waiting for the storm, you’re ready for it.

• Update your hand-hygiene training: add modules for winter/flu season risks.
• Install reminders at all sinks & hand-rub stations (“20–30 seconds; cover backs, between fingers, under nails”).
• Inspect high-touch areas and schedule extra cleaning rounds.
• Monitor staff hand-washing compliance (audit or peer-check using training kits).
• Communicate with staff: “This season may hit harder than usual — we’re stepping up hygiene to protect you, our customers and our business.”