Food Hygiene much?

just have to share that - one of these these things that'll stay with me..

i'm not easily rendered speechless []... but last Sunday, i really was lost for words!

I was selling my baked and other goods at the Farmers Market, as you do on a Sunday morning. Up comes this lycra-clad 'lady' (i'm using the term loosely).

She states she needs 'fuel', has a look in my presentation (which happens to be in clear, covered PVC tins, to protect it from noisy kids and general speech impediments!). She points at the muesly bars and says 'i want the one at the bottom". Obligingly, i grab the tongs and lift the lid... - and she reaches in, grabs the top bar, moves it aside and points to the bar at the bottom of the tin 'that one!"!!
I stared at her finger, with it's half eaten fingernail, and all i could think of saying was "You can't be serious?!? - you can't touch my food!"

She looks at me, asks "Why?" -- and i'm thinking "You're not 5 years old any more, are you??!?!"

but i manage, - just - to say "Now that you've touched it, you'll take the bar you had your hands on!" packed it in and took the money off her!

You have more patience than I do.

most of the time, i find human behavior a source of entertainment.

but this one!! she was in her fifties, well presented (appart fromt the half eaten fingernails, that is) - how on hearth she's gotten that far with no-one telling her off, i don't know:(

One of the benefits of selling our organic fabrics and garments online is that it does away with 'the great unwashed' leaving their grubby paw marks on the products. For us it would amount to 'shop soiled' losses but for food items the situation is understandably far more serious.

Incidentally is it a case of "no-one telling her off" , or of her ignoring those who have. And don't get me started on the upcoming generation of offspring who will never know what an effective repremand is, until they're fired from their job or arrested :rolleyes:

I had a similar experience while selling pickles. The person ignored the samples set out, picked up a jar and twisted the sealed lid off!. She looked surprised when I said she would have to pay for it now and said "I only wanted to smell it!"

Anakei;514897 wrote: I had a similar experience while selling pickles. The person ignored the samples set out, picked up a jar and twisted the sealed lid off!. She looked surprised when I said she would have to pay for it now and said "I only wanted to smell it!"

Chuckling...... Love it!

Not personal experience but an article in our local paper yesterday by someone called 'Dr Libby' was about the use of fish oil capsules to help joint movement. She said capsules were ineffective if old and should be smelled before buying as they would smell rancid if old. I wondered how many of the shops would feel happy about customers doing this - especially as jars are sealed! If so called professionals are giving this advice its no wonder customkers think they can get away with anything!

Anakei;514897 wrote: I had a similar experience while selling pickles. The person ignored the samples set out, picked up a jar and twisted the sealed lid off!. She looked surprised when I said she would have to pay for it now and said "I only wanted to smell it!"

ah, yeah, the 'smell' factor - nearly every Sunday, i have to rescue a loaf or two out of the hands of people trying to push their noses into the bag - just par for the course i guess.

Why they think it's ok at the Farmers Market what they'd never do at the supermarket, i haven't found out yet.

But i have to grin every time when i hear parents tell their kids 'don't touch, just look' - I do appreciate their effort, but that seems to be the one lesson hardly anyone takes into adulthood.

Occasionally on a weekend hubby and I might get a loaf of fresh bread from the supermarket for lunch. He's always amused that I refuse to use the tongs, and just carefully lift out with my hand avoiding contact with other loaves. After seeing what people do with the tongs I always use my hand - I trust it more than the tongs provided. Kids for some reason make a beeline for the tongs....then proceed to contaminate them with all their slobber and ick. Some of the adults aren't too much better I've found.

Blueberry;515080 wrote: ah, yeah, the 'smell' factor - nearly every Sunday, i have to rescue a loaf or two out of the hands of people trying to push their noses into the bag - just par for the course i guess.

Why they think it's ok at the Farmers Market what they'd never do at the supermarket, i haven't found out yet.

But i have to grin every time when i hear parents tell their kids 'don't touch, just look' - I do appreciate their effort, but that seems to be the one lesson hardly anyone takes into adulthood.

Hopefully by adulthood you're a little more consistent about washing your hands after going to the toilet/patting the dog's bum/picking up the chickens with pooey feet etc etc!

I always wash my feet before picking up the chickens!

ha ha Ruth.

This forum really needs a "like" button.

lisaeve;515113 wrote: Hopefully by adulthood you're a little more consistent about washing your hands after going to the toilet/patting the dog's bum/picking up the chickens with pooey feet etc etc!

yeah, well, the thing is - you don't know where those people have been with their hands before they touch food someone else is supposed to eat.

doesn't help my peace of mind that the only public toilet in the CBD open on a Sunday Morning does not provide the opportunity to dry your hands, so most people seem to forego washing them, too. [xx(]:eek::eek:

and that's just r'round the corner from where the market is.

Even where there are good handwashing facilities many people don't use them. When I'm at the basins of a public toilet I'm always surprised by the number of people who come and go without washing their hands.