Home Kitchen and Food Safety Inspection

The following article appeared in HuffPost: 8 Common Kitchen Habits That A Food Safety Inspector Might Fail You For

This reminded me of an incidence in my first bout of matrimonial swamp fever.  Needing a job, any job, I started working for the Arkansas Department of Health as a County Sanitarian (Health Inspector). I said job, any job, because this position entailed some very serious responsibility for the public safety, not only in restaurants, but also many other environmental areas. It often involved politics at different governmental levels, and, the kicker, paid abysmally, especially so for a job requiring a four year science degree.

I had just finished up nearly two months of training for this position.  I was sitting in our kitchen, talking to my wife as she prepared our evening repast.  She did something, I do not remember what.  I commented that whatever she had done was a five point violation regarding food safety on a restaurant inspection form.

She replied, “Go ahead, just go ahead, condemn my ktichen. I’ll never cook again!”

I am not overly bright, but I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut about her culinary practices after that.  I do wonder about me though.  I have a history of women in my life who are quick draw artists with the pithy comment…ruh roh.

The aforementioned article is an interesting read – at least to a former Health Inspector , but just to summarize the 8 categories are:

1. 1. Fitting Food In The Fridge Wherever There’s Room
   2. Putting Newer Items At The Front Of The Pantry Or Fridge And Older Ones At The Back
   3. Dipping Your Spatula Into Food You’re Preparing For A Little Taste
   4. Thawing Meat Or Fish On The Counter
   5. Not Properly Regulating Temperatures
   6. Stacking Wet Cutting Boards After Washing Them
   7. Drying Utensils With A Dish Towel
   8. Letting Your Pet Hang Out With You While You Cook

Apparently this incidence from my past impressed me deeply as I also related the anecdote here previously:  Restaurant Red Flags

What is it about old men telling the same story over and over and over…

And so it goes.

Subscribe to Curmudgeon Alley