Thursday 23 April 2009

The Glove incident

OK we are off to Japan in a few months time – finally getting that Honeymoon! So I need to update my passport – so off to the Photo Place to get a Passport photo at lunch today.

Very efficient girl (who joked when she realised how abrupt she was being getting me to stand in the right spot – move my glasses to remove reflection etc) took my photo and I went off to grab a roll from the local sandwich store while the print was developed.

I went for a BLT on a white roll and watched the two girls serving (obviously teenagers on school holidays but no problem). One of the girls took her blue food safe glove off after each sandwich she made to take the money from customers and give back change. The other girl just used her gloved hands. Both used gloved hands to get all the ingredients from the various trays including mixing meat and salad.

I have been in a state all day since as to whether or not I should have said something to the girls about their food handling practices.  The problem exists all through the food industry.  A GLOVE IS NOT MAGICAL it still gets dirty.  The girl that took her glove off the hand money had the right idea – I think that she should have replaced the glove each time but she put it back on after – but at least she was trying to follow some kind of food safety. The other girl was leaving herself and employer open to fines and making people sick – think about what MONEY has on it… just think about the people that handled you change before you got it…

Both of them used the same utensil (their gloved hand) to handle MEAT and SALAD a big no no and lots of opportunity for cross contamination. 

I think I might have to ask our food safety officers for a brochure to hand out to the owner of the store… Just so they are aware and to train their staff better.

Personally – I would prefer to have someone make my sandwich with BARE hands that where washed just before making my sandwich and for them to use tongs etc to get the food from the containers. I expect it is experience that caused these girls to act like they did – but the owner should be training better.

Stepping off the soap box.

1 comment:

Smarter Than the Average Cat said...

I don't know about the laws down under, but here in North Carolina, that would get the restaurant cited by the local health dept. It's kind of pointless to wear gloves if you're going to use that glove to touch food and money. Money is generally crawling with germs. Eww.