Dangerous Food!

I was out by the pool today relaxing and keeping my foot elevated after a little accident that's forced me to relax (one of those God doing for me what I can't do for myself things, I think) and I was watching Cassie, the dog. Cassie is a good dog. She's sweet and obedient. She doesn't ask for a lot and is very patient with people -- not at all like me. But Cassie hates bugs. She especially hates bees and wasps. She chases them around the yard and if she catches them, she tortures them by biting and spitting them out over and over, eventually eating most of the bug. She gets stung on the nose and doesn't even care; she just sneezes and snorts and rubs her nose in the grass. As soon as another buzzes by she's back to the chase. It occurred to me today that this is very dangerous food.

Likewise, there's some very dangerous people food out there too! Not just bugs and poisonous fish, but some downright dangerously handled food. Last night I was out camera shopping with my Mom and we needed a bite to eat, but didn't have much time. I don't usually do fast food, but sometimes it serves its purpose. We stopped into one of those Asian takeout fast-food boxes and I thought I'd have some rice and a veggie Spring roll. As we stood watching the employees and checking out the offerings, I noticed the health score posted...and 85! An 85 is NOT a good score. I told my Mom and suggested that we find another place to eat, but she said how do you know that they didn't lose points for small things. Good point!

So I leaned over to get a better look -- points off for not having the right form posted, no big deal. More points off for improper sampling food and drink in the kitchen -- not good. More for improperly handling utensils -- very bad and can lead to contamination and just plain dirtiness. But the kicker...the reason we DID walk out...improper hand washing! This is a very big deal! Improper hand washing can be a huge deal in cross-contamination and the transferring of illness from food service employees to customers. Illness including E. coli infection, Hepatitis A, typhoid, norovirus (most common on cruise ships), and more can be transmitted this way. The biggest problem comes when a food service worker fails to wash their hands after going to the toilet. No one wants to think about it, but please do!

Check those health scores before you eat out...they're there for your protection. I wouldn't eat anywhere that has a score less than 90 (preferably 94 or better). And I wouldn't eat anywhere that serves things like sushi or undercooked meats with a score of less than 100, since these foods are most dangerous. Eat healthy -- eat safe!