Finding Hairs In Food Is Disgusting – But Here’s What’ll Happen To Your Body If You Eat One

Picture the scene: you’ve just sat down to enjoy a delicious meal when you notice something in your food: a wayward strand of hair. And it’s not one of yours. Sure, discovering a piece of someone else’s mane in your dish is disgusting, but did you know that eating hair could actually have much bigger implications for your health?

The Dreaded Hair

There are few things that have the ability to turn the stomach like finding hair in your partially eaten meal. It reflects badly on the hygiene of a restaurant. That’s why businesses go to great lengths to ensure their employees’ locks stay firmly on their person and not in your food.

Protective Measures

In the U.S., guidelines advise that those involved in the preparation of food should wear suitable hair restraints. As outlined in the FDA Food Code, these include hats, baseball caps and hairnets. The aim of these head coverings is to catch loose strands, preventing them from finding their way onto customers’ plates.

No Contamination

Not only do hair restraints catch loose hairs, but they may also play a part in preventing kitchen staff from touching their manes and spreading contamination that way. However, you should keep your head covering in tip-top shape, ensuring that whatever you wear is in good condition and always clean.

Single-Use

With that in mind, single-use products such as disposable hairnets should be tossed away after wearing. They may need to be changed even more frequently if they develop a hole. So it’s important to make sure your head covering is performing as it should be to prevent strands from getting into food.