8 replies to this topic

[cazyncymru]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this, so if it needs moving Simon...

I'm just curious

Last night, I bumped into a ex-colleauge of mine, who also works in food safety.

Eventually, after discussing families and how old we were getting, the subject came around to how the supermarkets don't practice what they preach.

Now, we all know about TFMS and Morrisons standards etc, but do they actually have a standard that they have to follow in store?

Another grey area for me, is the person on the check out a food handler? I would like to say yes, as their fondling my fruit, but are they really?

I'd be interested to see what other people think.

Caz x

[Simon]

Hi Caz, this is a REAL bug bear of yours isn't it? I can smell it.

All of us who are bound by the requirements of standards and who are regularly humiliated and condescended to by inferior....Auditors, have a bug bear about this. At the supermarket every time they serve us cheese, with their hair everywhere and those silly butchers hats and fondling our fruit...

All aboard the bandwagon.

In answer to your question to be honest I don't know.

Regards,
Simon

[Setanta]

HA! I wonder, too! While I am tracking each allergen and every time someone washes their hands, I see supermarket people that ...are just plain lacking.

[john123]

I've been wondering the same about the deli and butcher counter people, but I hadn't extended it to checkers. If we call them food handlers, they would have to be washing their hands constantly since they're handing food and non-food in the same transaction. And it wouldn't be sufficient enough to say they're only handling packages, since people have the ability to bring unbagged fruit and vegetables to the check stand (watermelons and cantaloupes for example...) Huh.... Wonder how I would handle it if I was in a grocery store and the grocery store needed to have HACCP. (Do grocery stores need HACCP for the deli and butcher shop?)

[BarrieT]

The simple answer is, yes, each supermarket has its own 'standards' to which its own EHOs (or equivalent) audit to - and generally they are quite strictly applied.  Certainly when I've been inspecting them (on contract to the relevant local authority) they fear their in-house audits more than ours!

 

Also, they have the same requirement (in the UK anyway) for a HACCP as any other business covered by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, but this will not necessarily be to the depth required by BRC and the like.

 

I think check-out staff would be regarded as low-risk food handlers, although I take the point that there is the possibility of their hands becoming contaminated by, say packaged raw meat (from the packaging, or maybe a tear in the packaging), and then 'fondling' your fruit......but you have to draw the line somewhere, and I can't see your local supermarket installing hand wash stations at every till!!

 

Barrie

[cazyncymru]

The simple answer is, yes, each supermarket has its own 'standards' to which its own EHOs (or equivalent) audit to - and generally they are quite strictly applied.  Certainly when I've been inspecting them (on contract to the relevant local authority) they fear their in-house audits more than ours!

 

Also, they have the same requirement (in the UK anyway) for a HACCP as any other business covered by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, but this will not necessarily be to the depth required by BRC and the like.

 

I think check-out staff would be regarded as low-risk food handlers, although I take the point that there is the possibility of their hands becoming contaminated by, say packaged raw meat (from the packaging, or maybe a tear in the packaging), and then 'fondling' your fruit......but you have to draw the line somewhere, and I can't see your local supermarket installing hand wash stations at every till!!

 

Barrie

Hi Barrie

 

It just amazes me that the Deli girls would look more in place on a make up counter at Debenhams (other department stores are available)!

 

Also, checkout people chewing gum or drinking juice, what's that all about?

 

 

Make next time i'll refuse to have him handle my goods and speak to the manager

 

 

Caz x

[Dai Williams]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this, so if it needs moving Simon...

I'm just curious

Last night, I bumped into a ex-colleauge of mine, who also works in food safety.

Eventually, after discussing families and how old we were getting, the subject came around to how the supermarkets don't practice what they preach.

Now, we all know about TFMS and Morrisons standards etc, but do they actually have a standard that they have to follow in store?

Another grey area for me, is the person on the check out a food handler? I would like to say yes, as their fondling my fruit, but are they really?

I'd be interested to see what other people think.

Caz x

Caz very interesting subject and yes i believe they have their own and also local authority inspections. However i once had to use the toilet in my local Tesco store and was so appalled by the standards i went strait to complain and made a real fuss. But again another example of the big boys not practicing what they preach.  Will be goos to see how this debate pans out. R  Dai

[Jennyb723]

My favorite is getting home to find my ground beef sitting on top of my fresh veggies. When I call to complain I am assured that the staff is aware that raw meats should not in fact sit on top of fresh veggies. This has happened so often that they given me a $25 gift card. I've switched stores but I have to practically bag the raw meats myself to ensure it is kept separate. Maybe I'm paranoid but what's the point of the food industry taking all the necessary steps to keep raw meats away from ready to eat items if in the end they will end up married in the same bag.

And to top it all off, I was served samples of wine in a grocery store by someone wearing disposable gloves. I asked why and they stated that the food code required they had to wear gloves while serving food/drinks. Obviously, there is a huge gap in supermarket food safety.

[cazyncymru]

My favorite is getting home to find my ground beef sitting on top of my fresh veggies. When I call to complain I am assured that the staff is aware that raw meats should not in fact sit on top of fresh veggies. This has happened so often that they given me a $25 gift card. I've switched stores but I have to practically bag the raw meats myself to ensure it is kept separate. Maybe I'm paranoid but what's the point of the food industry taking all the necessary steps to keep raw meats away from ready to eat items if in the end they will end up married in the same bag.

And to top it all off, I was served samples of wine in a grocery store by someone wearing disposable gloves. I asked why and they stated that the food code required they had to wear gloves while serving food/drinks. Obviously, there is a huge gap in supermarket food safety.

So its not just the UK / me then?

 

I wonder if we have any members who represent the retailers?

 

Caz x

Edited by cazyncymru, 20 June 2013 - 01:27 PM.