Got to thinking about this yesterday when I was out to lunch with some coworkers. Especially since our waiter had a wild, unkempt head of hair. It seems like I would have had just as much chance of getting a hair in my food from him than I would from any of the cooks. So why are the people preparing your food required to cover their hair, but not the people serving your food?
The cooking staff is dealing with your food for several minutes at least. Plus all the bulk foods waiting to be processed. The wait staff has your food for maybe a minute.
There’s five people in the kitchen. You only have one server who isn’t actually touching your food, only the plate. And they are in control of it for only moments, as pointed out.
And a lot of places make people tie up their hair when serving.
And the kitchen staff are also in the kitchen all the time. Hair isn’t only a problem if it falls straight into your bowl of soup. If it falls on a work surface there’s a risk it will make it’s way into the soup anyway, hitchhiking on a leaf of cilantro.
Went to a new restaurant during its “cold opening” this last weekend. The manager or head waitress told one of the waitresses, who had long-ish hair, to immediately put her hair up in a ponytail or bun.
Oh great, now there’s hair in the bread.
In Washington state, where I live and work, hair has to be restrained, and the rule applies to all positions, not just cooks. Practically, it’s mostly enforced for those with longer hair (below the collar).
The legal requirement can be met with a hat or hair net, and also with a ponytail or bun. Cooks typically wear a hat not simply to restrain their hair, but also to prevent dripping sweat - it can get very hot in the kitchen.