Buying bread from bakers

[farahway]

I just passed a bakery shop that I'm not normally near and went in as they had lovely looking bread in window. Man infront of me paid then my turn. Woman went to window picked bread with her bare hands. I said something about the fact she'd just taken money from a previous customer and was now handling bread and she said "we're allowed to".

I left the shop.

Does anyone else feel this is a step backwards? We were all so paranoid over the past couple of years re keeping things clean and now this "is allowed".

God lord, are you really worried about that ? I take it you never eat out, what goes on in restaurant kitchen would give you a case of the vapers.

Woman in my local bakery licked her thumb to separate the paper bags she was putting my pie in. And then to make it worse, picked my pie up with her previously licked thumb too. She also didn't wash her hands after handling filthy money either.
I am a regular there and know all the staff well so thought nothing of mentioning it to her boss later and telling her that she needed to get that new woman trained in basic food hygiene!

My friend's dog got my pie. He doesn't care about random stranger spit.

Do you wash your hands or wear gloves before touching door handles, petrol pump handles, shopping trolleys/baskets? What about touch screens on self scan or atm? Chairs in airports or stations sat in by 1000s. Drive yourself crazy if you think about it.

I’d expect the bread to be picked up with tongs or a plastic bag, as pp said, but it wouldn’t worry me.

I always wash fruit and veg to remove any trace of pesticides, preservatives and fertiliser.

I ordered a baked potato with cheese in a bakery to take away once. The assistant picked up a load of grated cheese with the same fingers she was using to take money etc, and when I queried it she too said she was allowed to do it under health and hygiene rules. I told her I'd changed my mind and walked out.

It is not allowed in New York State:

What is the main reason for washing hands and not touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands?
The main reason for not touching ready-to-eat foods with bare hands is to prevent viruses and bacteria which are present in your body from contaminating the food. Viruses and bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, but may be present on your hands if you do not wash them thoroughly, particularly after using the bathroom. The law prohibits bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods and requires good hand washing by food service workers.

How can I prepare or serve ready-to-eat food to avoid contact with my bare hands?
You may use any of the following to prepare or serve foods without bare hand contact:
• tongs;
• forks & spoons;
• deli paper;
• disposable gloves;
• waxed paper;
• napkins;
• spatulas.
What kinds of foods may not be touched with bare hands?
• prepared fresh fruits and vegetables served raw;
• salads and salad ingredients;
• cold meats and sandwiches;
• bread, toast, rolls and baked goods;
• garnishes such as lettuce, parsley, lemon wedges, potato chips or pickles on plates;
• fruit or vegetables for mixed drinks;
• ice served to the customer;
• any food that will not be thoroughly cooked or reheated after it is prepared.
What can I do with a ready-to-eat food item if it was touched with bare hands?
You can either heat the food thoroughly to the temperature required for cooking or reheating, or discard the food, if it was touched with bare hands.

But we don't eat those things!

Wouldn't have even registered with me as something to worry about

It’s a distinct lack of basic food hygiene. I agree they should be using tongs instead of handling money and food with the same hands.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I pick up bread (only touching what I'm going to buy) in Lidl without washing my hands first. I eat food with my hands without washing them first.

I won’t expect to wash hands but there things like tongs or use a napkin to pick the bread up or have the bread in some kind of paper bag already. There’s loads of options really to hygienically handle food.

I agree with you. I remember my mum telling me that you weren't allowed to handle food and money. But it does seem to have changed, because in our local bakers they handle the bread and also take the money. One day I went in there and the woman was sweeping the floor and then used a dustpan. She served me and didn't wash her hands, and I felt like telling her I'd be happy to wait. But I didn't, of course. For some reason I found that was really dirty. There's no way at home I'd touch food after doing a 'difty' job without washing my hands. I don't buy bread any more so it's not a problem!

In the deli, one of the bits of waxed paper they wrap the cheese in fell on the floor. I expected the woman to throw it away but she put it back on the pile!

Gross.. no, I wouldn't eat it, nor would I do it myself 🤢

Wouldn't have thought anything of either of those scenarios either

I don't think it would even register with me.

Well the French seemed to have managed ok the last couple of centuries getting their daily baguette from the boulanger who never wear gloves, and all handle money.

Chill out

Wouldn't bother me & as a PP says I think many of us are neurotic about a few germs ... I am very lax about 'hygiene standards' & have never been sick, my DS (now 22) has never had a day off sick from nursery or school. Everyone used to tell me 'wait until your DS starts nursery- he'll pick up every bug' ... no he didn't .

I'm like that in our local bakery. Love their sandwiches but I can't eat them as they do the same. How can they not realise esp after COVID.

Surely she has a coin handling hand and a bread handling hand so both tasks completed hygienically

I work in retail and everyday I have customers hand me their money which they've just licked their fingers to get. ☹️🤢

No-one is catching COVID from a loaf of bread.

Well, I think the French have changed. I used to live in Paris and it drove me crazy with the lovely bakery there and their (lack of ) hygiene. That was 15 years ago. Was back recently and it was perfect. I can't remember what they did but I remember telling DH that they had upped their game.

I didn't say they were. Just expect hygiene and hand washing to be more prevalent now given that it was drummed into us all during the pandemic.

My friend is police officer and tells me there are certain people who need to keep their money safe. Homeless people, some drug users etc. Lots of them keep their notes stuffed up their backside.

Now those notes get circulated in society. So anyone thinking it's not an issue dealing with currency needs to think again.

My DS works in a very naice bakery (begins with G). They have a no cash policy, wear gloves, use tongs and have a timer that goes off every 20 minutes to wash hands.
£4.50 for a loaf of bread though!!