Kitchen hygiene, your thoughts

[Andy_Mann]

Spurred on by the recent Salmonella outbreaks from restaurants, & bearing in mind all the red tape & regulatory standards, why is the system failing?

And what could be learnt from gool ol' home kitchens?

 True story

I volunteered for Meals on Wheels for over 5 years, & it'd operated all along without incident for over 50 years, but the authorities couldn't help themselves & barged in with the compliance hammer, which I couldn't see how it would help anybody.

We were going to be forced to wear hairnets & gloves, which I was totally against, so I had a civil discussion with an authority enforcer, hoping to put what I thought was a reasonable case, for it to stay as is.

1 .. 50ish years without issue at Meals on Wheels, so what's brought these changes on?

Response: These change WILL happen.

2 .. Wearing gloves would deny us the natural sensation of our finger tips having a multitude of nerves that inform us that we have food, or other possible contaminant on our fingers, so what's up?

Response: You WILL all wear gloves.

3 .. OK, on the hairnet issue, I'm not losing hair, do I still have to wear a hairnet?

Response: Yes.

4 .. If I'm hairless from Cancer treatment, would I still have to wear a hairnet?

Response: Yes.

5 .. What's your problem with hair fall?

Response: The recipients shouldn't have to remove hair from their food.

6 .. Why haven't we ever heard of complaints about hair in food, what's with that?

Response: Regardless, you WILL all wear hairnets.

7 .. My wife constantly reminds me that my nose is about to drip, should I wear a face mask?

Responbse: No.

I politely terminated the discussion, & never returned.

OK, back to the real world, how do you keep your family safe in the kitchen?

[AHoy]

I think its just common sense. Only use kitchen cloths for a day or two before washing, make sure you wash dishes in very hot water to kill germs (dishwashers are great!), don't mix chopping boards between uncooked and cooked foods, etc.

[Trying]

Great question @Andy-Mann ! Let's not forget that Mums ( and sometimes Dads ) have been keeping their families safe in kitchens for generations. Some health professionals believe that the recent rise in the use of antibacterial cleaning products,especially in kitchens and bathrooms,could be the reason for the increase in allergies in our children. They are not exposed to common bacteria when young and have no chance to build immunity as perhaps their grandparents did. . Most kids seem to survive their home kitchens, so parents are doing something right. Cheers

[Andy_Mann]

@Trying, deadset right, kids aren't allowed to get grubby like we did. Crikey, we ate soursobs, fell out of trees, crashed our bikes, picked the gravel out of our knees & elbows & nothing was said. We had a lotta fun, never had stitches, survived the lot, & I've got a bulletproof immune system.

Throughout my whole school & work life, I only ever knew 1 asthmatic, that was is primary school & he still played sport.

We always played outside, & only came indoors if it was pelting with rain, or it was feedbag time. : )

Mum had a wooden cutting board, & washed dishes in hot soapy water, big brother & big sister dried them, & put them on the edge of the workbench so that I could reach them & put them away. My big sister was my twin, but a giant in comparison to me.

The thing was, everyone pitched in, no-one winged & it was done in no time.

I look back & think that it was just well that we didn't have expensive toys, I was fast asleep by 7oclock at the latest, so it wouldn't have got used much. : )

[Isobel]

Some good tips here - http://www.domain.com.au/advice/how-to-clean-your-kitchen-like-a-professional-20160726-gqdrk5/

[Andy_Mann]

@Isobel, that's a neat site, this toothbrush hack is great. I use a nail brush for larger areas, & vacuum (on low) the return air vent for the air conditioner, though sometimes I'll squirt it outside with a hose.

Electrical switches are gross if neglected, a wipe over with a well rung out longish nap micro fibre cloth does well, but the toothbrush is helpful for hard to get at crevices.

[Trying]

@Isobel, great site - so good that I kept on and on and etc...got completely side-tracked from the kitchen hygiene. Cheers