HOW SAFE IS YOUR RESTAURANT?
By Valerie Hart
Television host, Back of the House
A gentleman dining at Crewe, found quite a large mouse in his stew. Said the waiter, “Don’t shout and wave it about, or the rest will be wanting one too”. (Limerick)
Once upon a time we ate in restaurants without asking if the chef were wearing gloves or if beef and pork were dipped in the same flour before being deep fried. We lined up at buffets that didn’t have plastic sneeze guards. We picnicked on sandwiches and potato salad transported in a wicker basket. Savvy food people packed their repast in a cooler, unless the beer took up too much space. We knew, of course, not to consume raw oysters during months without an “r” in their spelling because the heat of the summer could make raw seafood dangerous. But, we ate our hamburgers rare and added a raw egg yolk to our skinny child’s milkshake for protein. And, we hid real hard boiled eggs for the children to gather at Easter, and threw out the one not accounted for when the family dog deposited it at our feet in July. There were occasions when we became ill, but the stomach ache was usually short-lived and unexplained. Was it our innocence that protected us most of the time or were we a heartier breed in the past?
My Father was a connoisseur of food and restaurant standards. When we entered a restaurant, he immediately disappeared to “wash his hands”. Several minutes later, he either ushered the family to their seats or looked at his watch and announced to the maitre d’, “I just remembered an appointment”. He knew that the condition of the bathroom reflected that of the kitchen.
The public has become very conscious of cleanliness and food safety. Outbreaks of salmonella, vibrio, anisakiasis, and hepatitis A are the most commonly known. Salmonella can be found in raw poultry and eggs. Vibrio can be found in raw shellfish. Anisakiasis is a worm found in raw fish and shellfish. Hepatitis A is a viral food-born illness spread through the feces of animals, in unwashed raw shellfish and raw vegetables, and found on unwashed hands of the food handlers. Proper hand washing in 100 degree water offers the best protection but foods suspected of having parasites, such as sushi, must be frozen to a minimum of 4 degrees Fahrenheit for seven days. Then, of course, there’s the powerful toxin, E-Coli, commonly associated with rare hamburgers and cross-contamination, but that can be found in everything from cooked sausages to cookies and that can live on counter surfaces for weeks. It’s a heavy responsibility that falls upon the restaurant.
Are gloves really the answer to safe handling? Not necessarily. If hands are not washed before putting on gloves, bacteria can seep through the glove. If wearing gloves replaces washing hands, the gloves can become just as dirty. Gloves must be changed as often as hands are washed, which is constantly, as the chef moves to different foods. When handled with bare hands, one is immediately aware of juices that transfer. This is not always the case with gloves. Gloves can provide a false sense of cleanliness. However, gloves should always be worn when working with and dishing up ready to eat ready to eat foods such as salads and ice cream. More and more states are mandating this into law along with the use of utensils to remove cooked food to serving plates.
The only jewelry that is allowed in a kitchen is a plain wedding band. Nail polish is a no-no. Finding Revlon Red in a salad is bad for the restaurant’s image. Hair should be covered or cut very short or tied back. There’s not a lot of information on the danger of finding a hair in the gravy, but it’s an appetite buster.
Cross contamination during the preparation and cooking is the cause of most food related illnesses. The buffet runs a close second, and it is not necessarily because of the food or the food handler in the kitchen, but the people who pass the serving utensils from hand to hand.
If all this has made you decide to stay home and eat in your own kitchen, have you checked your refrigerator lately? Is the temperature 40 degrees or lower? Are your meats, poultry, and fish in closed containers stored on the bottom shelf in case their juices drip and contaminate vegetables and fruit? Are your eggs stored in their original carton on the shelf or in the door where the warm air changes their temperature each time it is opened? How long have you left that chicken on the counter that you plan to cook for dinner? Do you wash and disinfect your cutting board (white vinegar works) after each use before placing new foods on it? Do you use the same sponge to wash the counter as your dishes? Most home kitchens would not begin to pass inspection. With these facts in mind, you may as well eat out and enjoy!
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