Manual Dishwashing Study Digs Up Dirt On Dish Cleanliness

I find this very interesting for what it implies, in the UK and other European countries, there are very strict food hygiene laws. These cover all facets of food prep and cleaning. In the UK, food poisoning is a reportable illness, i.e. it must be reported to the relevant authority, and they then investigate possible sources of the infection. they have the power to close business that don't comply with the regs down. I would be interested in the procedures that occur in the US.

In the U.S. the laws and regulations are partly local and therefore some vary somewhat, but essentially they are as you describe for the UK, plus any facility that prepares and/or serves food has to comply with many regulations and is inspected regularly by the health department for cleanliness, proper food handling and storage procedures, temperatures etc.

There are various penalties, depending on the nature and severity of the violations, starting with warnings, and then proceeding to increasing fines and ultimately closing the business. In the event customers are harmed, criminal penalties may apply, and the threat of lawsuits is always present.

Greg

Just a thought. Do any food preparation requirements exist about the use of UV radiation. I should expect that use of UV after drying of dishes in a washer (or otherwise) would reduce bacterial contamination immensely.

I seldom use a dishwasher and prefer instead to wash everything by hand. My girlfriend chides me once in a while for going to the effort and for "wasting" water, so this news is a bit of ammo in my defense.

Your ex is from San Antonio, right? Did you live there as well? If so, you may have heard of Marvin Zindler's "Slime in the Ice Machine" local TV segment in Houston. He goes around town - sometimes with a TV crew - making surprise visits to restaurants, checking up on sanitation, refrigerator and freezer temperatures, etc., and even checks for slime in ice machines! Televised egg in the face of those restaurants that don't meet standards!

-e

The States is about the only country I've not spent some time in. We have similar programs, the one that springs to mind is Gordan Ramsey's kitchen nightmare's. I'd like to know if that one is on general showing in the states!

Is this the same Gordon Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen fame?

-e

Yes! Someone needs to tell him, he's just a cook!