Tag Archives: Sanitary

Magic glove syndrome

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Gonzalo already blogged about the last episode of the Real Housewives of New Jersey in which the ladies were preparing for Thanksgiving. I, however, am a bit behind on my television viewing and just got to the episode today on the DVR.

Caroline’s family went to visit their daughter Lauren’s boyfriend’s family at their Italian food store, Little Italy Deli. One of the men behind the counter handed Caroline a bowl of soup with a gloved hand, and then Marco (or Vito Jr’s brother) struck this pose (right, exactly as pictured). What’s the point of wearing sanitary gloves if you’re going to rub them on your unprotected hand? Apparently there is some cultural confusion about whom the gloves protect, the food handler or the client. In food safety language this is referred to as magic glove syndrome.

Next on the show, they got Lauren behind the meat slicer. She had her left hand gloved and her right hand unprotected. Presumably she was using her left hand only to touch the meat. When she was corrected about slicer use, however, she touched the meat with an ungloved finger. 

Magic glove syndrome

Posted on by
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Gonzalo already blogged about the last episode of the Real Housewives of New Jersey in which the ladies were preparing for Thanksgiving. I, however, am a bit behind on my television viewing and just got to the episode today on the DVR.

Caroline’s family went to visit their daughter Lauren’s boyfriend’s family at their Italian food store, Little Italy Deli. One of the men behind the counter handed Caroline a bowl of soup with a gloved hand, and then Marco (or Vito Jr’s brother) struck this pose (right, exactly as pictured). What’s the point of wearing sanitary gloves if you’re going to rub them on your unprotected hand? Apparently there is some cultural confusion about whom the gloves protect, the food handler or the client. In food safety language this is referred to as magic glove syndrome.

Next on the show, they got Lauren behind the meat slicer. She had her left hand gloved and her right hand unprotected. Presumably she was using her left hand only to touch the meat. When she was corrected about slicer use, however, she touched the meat with an ungloved finger. 

NYC’s Birdbath Bakery closed for filth and inadequate refrigeration on rickshaws

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Who would name a food place the Birdbath Bakery?

Birds are factories for salmonella and campylobacter and I wouldn’t want them bathing around food.

If the goal is to be New York City’s most sustainable bakery, then why not. But sustainable is not the same as sanitary.

Grub Street New York reports inspection results indicate the bake shop couldn’t present a Food Protection Certificate, there was evidence of mice, and food-contact surfaces weren’t properly sanitized.

But an employee tells us that the main reason for the closure was that Birdbath had started transporting savory items (salads, pizzas, sandwiches) by rickshaw from City Bakery and didn’t have adequate refrigerators for keeping them at the Department’s required temperature of 41 degrees or below.
 

Chinese locals discouraged from eating saliva noodles

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An effort to eliminate "xian shui mian" or "saliva noodles" said to be invented by King Wen of Zhou, founder of the Zhou dynasty over 3000 years ago, is being encouraged in Changxing town of Meixian county in northwest China’s Shaanxi province.

The Chinese Business View reported on Thursday that the township government has launched a 500 yuan award for the first six families that do not treat their guests to "xian shui mian" during the New Year or Spring Festival.

Ma Binglin, an official with Changxing township government, further explained that they decided to alter the village dietary habits for the sake of their health since the noodle soup is reused many times and contains each diner’s saliva. The repeated use of the soup has brought about the name "saliva noodle," and is considered unsanitary.

"Saliva noodle," which carries a meaning of "a meal of family community and harmony", is popular in villages in the counties of Meixian, Wugong and Qianxian. In weddings, funerals, festivals and birthday feasts, traditionally guests are treated to saliva noodle.

Though "Xian Shui Mian" disgusts some of the local people, "It has a history of thousands of years and has taken root in local cultures. So it can’t be simply described as a bad habit. The custom could only be reformed but never removed," Mr. Wang said.

Hockey hat trick hats are often discarded for sanitary reasons

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After three games of the Stanley Cup finals with Detroit leading Pittsburgh 2-1, and some of the best hockey in years, I finally have a reason to blog about it.

Puck Daddy asked today, What happens to hats thrown for hat tricks?

It all comes down to sanitation.

In hockey, when a player scores three goals in a game, it’s called a hat trick, and after the third goal, the ice is often littered with hats from fans.

One of hockey’s greatest traditions, the tossing of hats on the ice when a player scores thrice evolved from local businessmen handing out fedoras to players about 90 years ago. During the 1970s, fans built on that tradition by tossing hats on the ice, and the NHL eventually amended its rule book to say that "articles thrown onto the ice following a special occasion (i.e. hat trick) will not result in a bench minor penalty being assessed" to the home team for delay of the game.

So where do all of these hat-trick hats eventually end up?

1. The Players Keep the Hats.

2. The Garbage: Remember what mom used to say about wearing other kids’ hats back in elementary school? Turns out that health concerns about the indiscriminate origin of the hats is a consideration.

Mike Sundheim, media relations for the Carolina Hurricanes, said that a portion of the hats that are in decent shape are given to the players, but that "the majority of the older, well-worn ones pretty much have to go in the trash because of health concerns."

That was echoed by VP of communications Tom McMillan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, although he said a student once did a project with the Penguins in which he took hats thrown on the ice, had them "cleaned and medically approved" and then donated them to charity.