Was my request reasonable or was he right to storm off?

Small children build their immune systems by touching all manner of things and putting dirty fingers in their mouths.

Unless there's some reason why someone is immuno compromised, leave them be and wash hands when you get home/before you next eat.

Yes, it's a bit neurotic of you. Whilst there are bacteria, there are on everything in life and the likelihood of anything coming of it is entirely minimal. Relax a little.

Touching raw bacon and not washing hands is unreasonable to me! Trichenella, e.coli and even hepatitis E can be on it to name a few. And then interacting with a juvenile immune system. No OP you was not unreasonable if he handled raw bacon.

It's raw in the sense that it hasn't been cooked with heat, but it's cured with salt (and often also with smoke). So it's not the same as something like raw pork chops.

Bacon is 'raw meat' only in the same sense that smoked salmon and gravadlax are 'raw fish' - it hasn't been cooked, but it has been cured.

The chances of becoming unwell even from eating a rasher of raw bacon are extremely low, and the chances of becoming unwell from handling it to bait a crab line are even lower. You'd pick up more dangerous bacteria from touching pretty much anything else on the beach than you would from touching the raw bacon and the OP was being incredibly OTT expecting her DH to and wash his hands in a pub.

In my opinion it's really not like eating raw chicken which would be dangerous. I often nibble on raw bacon whilst chopping it up. I think the op is neurotic

That. And you sent him off just as he'd got to the fun bit that he wanted to share with his daughter.
Next time you can do the messy prep and let him have the fun.

OP is his wife, not his mother. To tell an adult to wash their hands (and it was cured meat, not chicken) is infantilising. And to suggest he does it in the pub is also cheeky AF.

if he makes a habit of reacting like this, do you make a habit of talking to him like that? If you are bothered, carry sanitiser

I think this would make an excellent insult.

'Sod off you bacony crab bucket'!!

Sorry OP but it was an over the top request, unless he was about to shove his bacony hands into your DD's mouth or something. If you're that paranoid then crabbing probably isn't for you!

I suppose it depends on the level of involvement the toddler was going to have, but in general I think if you have the option of handing children and equipment with or without the risk that there's salmonella on your hands, better off doing it without, even if the activity itself will also mean hands need washed afterwards.

However, based on this thread I see we are a very relaxed nation when it comes to the issue of food borne bacteria...!

So everytime he handled the nets and the contents of the nets did you make him run back and wash his hands? He's not your child.

Bacon rashers sold in shop chilled cabinets is raw. I think you are getting mixed up with Parma ham and salami.

I would absolutely wash my hands straight away after handling raw bacon when preparing food and before eating but I wouldn't think to do it before fishing. Maybe I'd rinse my hands in the water and apply hand sanitiser at best but going to a pub to carefully wash your hands before continuing to do something which gets your hands dirtier like fishing for crabs doesn't make sense I'm afraid.

No you aren’t - most places don’t like it

How do some of these posters cope with crabbing? Would he have to go into the pub and wash his hands every time they catch a crab? Are you meant to use the wash room if you haven’t bought a drink at the pub.

I’d have said the same as you. I don’t want someone handling raw bacon and not washing their hands, especially with a young child around.

You're being absolutely ridiculous! And you're being extra ridiculous to not pack any wet wipes with you yet demand he goes and washes his hands before you've even started, you've obviously got some sort of anxiety issues, how do you think the bacon gets in the nets?? How do you think the crabs get in the bucket or the crab lines get pulled in?

We take our young daughter crabbing, it's really fun but it's not really a hygienic activity, (you're touching bacon/bait, sea water, seaweed, crabs etc) so you wouldn't want him to be handing her food to eat while crabbing etc, but all washing your hands after you've finished is fine, or wet wipes for her hands in the meantime if you are that worried, she hasn't touched the bacon so would be fine anyway!

Way to ruin what should be a nice family activity with your neurosis.

I get you @Unsurree but carry wipes instead.

You’re not his mum

@Unsurree wet wipes and hand gel. Available to everyone at any point without need to go to pub. Very surprised this isn't routine for someone so bug conscious 🙄

I just couldn’t get remotely bothered about this. Surely if you’re crabbing, your continually touching bait, sea water, dirty nets, crabs, scratching your nose, more bait, wiping kids nose, more sea water, more crabs. Do you want him to wash his hands at 5 minute intervals?

Is bacon that bad?

bit highly strung 😳

That seems daft to me. Why bring raw bacon just to get so fussy about it? Presumably you'd all have washed your hands after crabbing anyway - or at least before you next ate.

Had they finished crabbing/fishing at that time?

Unless he was putting his fingers in your DD's mouth, I'm not sure how he was exposing her to the bacon germs. All that was needed was to remind DD not to put her hands near her mouth, then everyone washes their hands once you've finished crabbing.

Hands washing after the activity not during imo. If you dd played soccer would you make her wash her hands every time she touched the ball?