My latest for Texas A&M’s Center for Food Safety:
My worst failure as a human is that many loving, generous and smart people want to help me.
And I don’t want their help.
But sometimes, people need help, even if they don’t know it.
I sliced the tip off my thumb while making the girls’ lunch – food safety risk – and after three hours of bleeding, I finally took my wife’s advice and ended up with a few stitches.
I apply these lessons to food safety. The outbreaks that occur, the terrible soundbites, the gross mismanagement and I wonder, why didn’t they seek help sooner?
Most of it is psychological, just like my resistance to seek help, or, as one correspondent wrote, “it simply can’t happen. Until it does.”
Top 10 signs someone may need microbial food safety help:
- We’ve always done it this way and no one has gotten sick;
- we meet all government standards;
- do as I say not as I do;
- just wash your hands and you won’t get sick;
- it’s a good idea to serve deli meats in an old folks’ home;
- local, organic, sustainable, dolphin-free is safer;
- food safety is our number one priority;
- food safety is simple;
- blame consumers; and,
- use common sense.
The bugs will keep on coming, and whether it’s pride or vanity, people will ignore the protective measures until they get caught.
Dr. Douglas Powell is a former professor of food safety who shops, cooks and ferments from his home in Brisbane, Australia.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the original creator and do not necessarily represent that of the Texas A&M Center for Food Safety or Texas A&M University.