Food Contaminant - Hair in Food

Hair in Food

There is a heavy stigma attached to the presence of hair in food in most societies which has even resulted in a website designed to share stories of their experiences at HairInFood.com. There is a risk that it may induce choking and vomiting, and also that it may be contaminated by toxic substances. Views differ as to the level of risk it poses to the inadvertent consumer.

In most countries, people working in the food industry are required to cover their hair. When people are served food which contains hair in restaurants or cafés, it is usual for them to complain to the staff. Despite this, it is not a valid ground on which to sue the restaurant in the United States but in the United Kingdom it breaks the regulations of the UK Food Safety Act 1990 as it has been known to cause food poisoning and people can sue over this.

There are a range of possible reasons for the objection to hair in food, ranging from cultural taboos to the simple fact that it is difficult to digest and unpleasant to eat. It may also be interpreted as a sign of more widespread problems with hygiene. The introduction of complete-capture hairnets is believed to have resulted in a decrease in incidents of contamination of this type.

Sometimes protein from human hair is used as a food ingredient, in bread and other such similar products. Such use of human hair in food is forbidden in Islam. Historically, in Judaism, finding hair in food was a sign of bad luck.