what is the deal with taking home made goods into work to be shared?

[Inthevirtualwaitingroom]

We were doing this but now it seems we shouldnt have been?

There’s no specific rule, but a lot (majority in my experience) have stopped colleagues preparing/sharing food for each other (including making drinks in a lot of cases) as part of their risk assessments for the workplace.

Our microwave was taken away. There's no way they'd let us have food brought in from home to share (and, despite best efforts, I'd worry about hygiene).

Advice seems to have been from almost a year ago

avoid sharing things

Avoid touching things other people have handled and if you do wash your hands

well we continue to make drinks, share a microwave, and wash our hands regularly, well i least i wash my hands before i eat, after i sneeze, after i use the photocopier

All food sharing is banned at my workplace and has been since March. Very depressing.

Do you mean for a birthday or something? think most people take bought, wrapped goods now.

What's the difference between eating cake that a colleague has made (for example) and getting food from a takeaway, providing said colleague has been reasonably hygienic?

I agree Barbara

We are still allowing this at my work place but I think most of us are ok with it. Sometimes someone brings in home made cookies or ones from the shop are in the staff room and shared, people make drinks for each other. We share a microwave. We've had no cases in work, which is lucky I guess.

@BarbaraofSeville

What's the difference between eating cake that a colleague has made (for example) and getting food from a takeaway, providing said colleague has been reasonably hygienic?

Most cafes and take aways should be operating under much stricter hygiene regulations than your average home kitchen.

I've always turned down food bought in (unless fresh like fruit). You never know the providence of the ingredients nor the hygiene regime at their home. 1 person was famous for bringing in cakes etc with added cat's hair.

We get brought cake at work from time to time. I don't partake. I don't know the provenance, and everybody digging in just makes me worry about infection control - same as with mugs... I don't make tea with mugs that are unwashed (teaspoons going from mug to mug that have had other people's mouths on).

We have had cases at work.

Other people make different choices. That is up to them.

We're still having cake but now it has to be individually wrapped. Volunteer brought cake into the vaccine clinic yesterday and had cling filmed each piece so that was allowed. It's more to do with people touching it when they pick some up, rather than someone making it.

It’s a five year prison sentence for cupcakes and ten years if you take in a whole cake.