What do you think?

[mosy]

@ Nigel: I'm not sure how use-by dates could be changed for the better though. Any ideas?
I'd rather they be there than not as a consumer (ignoring the protection afforded to the retailer in a claim culture).

I once stopped someone from buying a seriously green piece of supermarket vacpack steak who thought it must be spiced whatever so was meant to be like that since it was still in date. Gawd help novices who do decide to switch to fresh food.

[Steveofsyd]

I wash all my food in Domestos.
No seriously I have always washed all meat as I was taught to. I realise it does not remove all bacteria but like washing hands in plain water it will reduce the numbers of the little buggers.
For example some meat may be contaminated within by broken organs , intestines etc . The remanants of which will have a higher concentration of harmful bacteria.
I also wash to remove any bone fragments...for example on lamb chops.
I do however draw the line at washing mince...someone I once knew did this in a sieve!!!
Anyway back to cooking...may have missed it but I think the microwave is chiefly to blame for the change in cooking habits.
People are now microwaving burgers and chips for goodness sake!

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[leenewham]

@mosy
I meant the plastic tray, not the wrap (although you leave than on in the microwave). Plastics contain all sorts of nasty things like BPA, which are banned for babies but not us. I wouldn't heat anything in plastic and most ready meals come in plastic trays. I wouldn't recommend drinking water from a plastic bottle if it's been in the sun and they aren't designed to be reused! Yep, you are right about whole chickens, if it's labelled as fresh then it has to be fresh and not previously frozen (this wasn't always the case!).

@Nigel
Regarding 'Sell by dates' This is a little confusing. There used to be: 'Use by’, ‘best before', 'sell by' and 'display until' (I don't think I've ever put 'sell by' on a pack, ever). Now the guidance is for "use by" (food must be eaten by that date), and "best before" (food that may have passed its best, but is not dangerous to eat). Shops can still put 'display until' on their packs but it's now rare (eggs often have them still) but it's optional.


I remember photographing some fish for Sainsbury's back in the late 90's and every one had worms in them, even after cooking (they moved!). The development chef was saying that in North Sea fish they eat seal poo which has worms in it, so most white fish will be like that and it's harmless (I didn't have any reason to doubt him). It put me off fish for a while! Dead stuff isn't supposed to move like that!

I was talking to a new client who is a chef the other day and he was saying that 90% of food poisoning comes from fingers and poor hygiene. I'm not sure if it's true. I just use common sense. If eggs stand up in water, something smells bad, things are living in it or it moves by itself then it's probably safe to presume that it's not fit to eat, even if cooked by mikecg next to his cockroach pie.

[marymck]

While we're talking of gross things ....

Many cases of e-coli are caused by women putting their handbags on loo floors and then putting them on restaurant tables. I stopped using the cafe at M&S in bromley because so many if their loo cubicles didn't have handbag hooks on the doors.

It's also spread by people flushing loos with the lid up. Shockingly many of the loos at kings college hospital don't have lids! You can actually see unpleasantlness on the cubicle walls! I asked the cleaner did she wash the walls, but she said no, not part of her job. I asked the contractors for a deep clean and change of instructions, but don't know if it happened.

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[SepticSkeptic]

Once again Mary... Evidence?

There was a nice demonstration by Mythbusters a while back where they left toothbrushes in a bathroom. An open toilet flushing away. The toothbrushes were found to contain traces of faecal matter.
However, the control toothbrushes, left in an office, also were contaminated with faecal matter.....

Lids on public toilets mean more people touching them. I won't patronise you all by completing the risk assessment.

Yeah, Science!

I'm Jessie, Tim Lund is Mr White.

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[marymck]

Do you have any scientific proof that you actually exist and that you are not just a computer generated troll?

I have no idea who Mr White and Jessie are? Muppet characters?

I know you cannot possibly be serious. Even the most skeptical know to wash their hands after touching a loo lid or handle. But when I have time and am at a desktop PC I will try to post some "evidence". I will do that for you be you, as you claim, a Jessie, or just looking to wind me up ... which is probably more likely.

In the meantime, here's something to read (hopefully not on the loo!)

The second link mentions handbags, as well as the importance of putting the lid down before flushing.

http://m.nursingtimes.net/5041511.article

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/ ... iene-facts.

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[Rachael]

I read about the handbag thing a couple of years ago and have never put my handbag either on a table or on the floor of a toilet cubicle since! But really, it's the part about not putting it on tables that makes sense, not because it goes to the toilet with me, but because it gets put down in all sorts of other places too. So it's more about thinking of the bottom of my bag being akin to the bottom of my shoes. I wouldn't put them on a table either.

[marymck]

I read about the handbag thing a couple of years ago and have never put my handbag either on a table or on the floor of a toilet cubicle since! But really, it's the part about not putting it on tables that makes sense, not because it goes to the toilet with me, but because it gets put down in all sorts of other places too. So it's more about thinking of the bottom of my bag being akin to the bottom of my shoes. I wouldn't put them on a table either.

I won't put my bag on a table either.But inevitably that means I have to put it in it on my lap. So I try not to put my handbag on any floor, but I go to humiliating and painful lengths, worthy of a contortionist, not to put it on the floor of a loo!

Apologies Annie, we've gone far off the track of your OP.

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[Rachael]

But, Mary, if you are careful not to put your bag on tables, you don't need to worry about putting it on the floor!

[marymck]

But, Mary, if you are careful not to put your bag on tables, you don't need to worry about putting it on the floor!

At a restaurant table, I have to put it on my lap when paying my bill. It also goes on my lap on the bus. Plus I'm a face toucher (much as I try not to). So I just try to minimize the risks.

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[Rachael]

But, Mary, if you are careful not to put your bag on tables, you don't need to worry about putting it on the floor!

At a restaurant table, I have to put it on my lap when paying my bill. It also goes on my lap on the bus. Plus I'm a face toucher (much as I try not to). So I just try to minimize the risks.

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Oh, I see, sorry, I misread your previous post (too early in the morning). If you are concerned about not putting something in your lap that has been on the floor, then you have startlingly higher standards of hygiene than me! I watch where I put my bag more out of concern for my bag than anything else (I have rather expensive taste in handbags).

Annie - come and reclaim your thread!

[marymck]

Oh I'm not so sure Rachael. I'd happily put a toddler or a puppy in my lap, and they're probably the most unhygienic things of all

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[Sydenham]

I never realised the complexities, or health implications of hand bag ownership before. I was thinking of getting one myself (man bag) but have now, after reading these recent posts, been dissuaded.

But if you leave handbags on the floor - aren't you opening yourself up to risk of theft? Just something else to worry about.

I'm now sticking with wallet and other things (phone / spectacle case / keys / pens etc...) distributed about my body in available pockets.

However a utility belt is also looking attractive.

James.

[mosy]

On handbags, table hangers are widely available; I've had one for years, e.g.
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/imag ... zuzXF5eBeg

[Annie.]

Hi Mary,
I quite like the fact the conversation has changed from the OP,its like real life, we all flit from one subject to another, and I am quite interested in the handbag angle!
So feel free :0))

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