I'm I right to feel vaguely nauseous that the butcher....

[handlemecarefully]

used his bare hands to scoop out my minced steak from the container and weigh out a portion for me?

Or does it not really matter, i.e. will any germs get killed during dry frying?

I'm thinking about feeding the mince to the dogs rather than us....

Sorry typo in heading:

"Am I right..."

It doesn't matter. Chefs use their bare hands all the time and cooking does generally kill anything.

Ok - good point about chefs..

Would be more worried frankly at what goes on that you can't see in meat processing plants.
Anyway,even those plastic gloves serve no purpose when the dullard wearing thewm also hanbles change/uses a dish rag/scratches arse.

If you're not cooking food enough to kill germs that might be put on by hands, you're certainly not cooking it well enough to deal with the fact that it's the body of an animal that's been dead for a few days.

Does he wash his hands? Especially after handling money? As long as he does wash before handling food, should be OK - gloves can lead to a false sense of security as people keep them on while doing different tasks.

That made me roffle DC!

I wouldn't use it even if the germs are killed by heat. how disgusting that he would do that. why didn't you refuse the meat when you saw what he did? local friendly butcher?

don't think I'd care. If not appropriate in your particular circumstances to voice your concern and disgust just bin the meat and shop elsewhere in future.

lol, typical blunt Domini post...

Ok I am fine with it now (just kept getting unwelcome images in my head of the butcher having previously used the urinals and not having washed his hands properly)

People do go madly ott on this site! Bin the meat because someone touched it? Do you ever eat in a restaurant?
This isn't a sterile needle we are talking about, it's a bit lump of dead animal as DC said!

Really, really can't see a problem to be honest...

Ok Aloha - but I am just curious about what Environmental Health might make of it. I bet it would contravene food handling guidelines. Not that I am going to report - just not going to shop there in future.

So (getting mildly argumentative now)- I suppose it would be fine also if he had a good root around in his nostril 5 minutes before and then handled the meat. After all it is just a bit of dead animal and I am going to cook it

the idea that he scratched his arse or had his member in his hand is enough to make me barf at the site of the meat.

sure maybe other things go on that I don't see but he is a professional in business and he should act as such and within health guidelines.

faeces? [vomit][vomit][vomit]

Spot on DC!
LOL.
And remember, HMC, greengrocers use their bare hands to hand you an apple that will not be washed, ditto bakers with cakes etc.

I think a greater problem is what gets touched with the hands that touched your nice fresh mince. I'd be more likely to wash the cash he gave me as change!

As edam says, gloves don't buy you much, unless you believe he changes them every time he does a new piece of meat, or handles some cash.

Money is a very poor way of transmitting infection, indeed the contents of your purse can be used to make slightly infected water drinkable.
It's not for me to say what you should or should not find disgusting, but most types of food are handled by humans, and as Carmenere says, chefs often use bare hands.
I'd ask you to think something through.
Why are there such strict rules that food preparation staff have to use blue plasters ?

You won't like the answer...

AB - we don't know that he scratched his hairy (or otherwise) arse!

washed hands are as safe as gloves used over and over!

I wash my apples!

He could have just the same rootle with a gloved hand as bare one though. They are only bits of latex, not magical forcefields.

Well all this is going to do wonders for my current weight loss regime any way

Do you know that urban myth/piece of scientific reporting about bowls of peanuts on bartops bearing traces of about 15 different kinds of wee?

I know the answer to that DC

It involves my mother catering for a wedding in which they mixed about 3 tonnes of rice salad by hand.....

How do you purify water with coins, DC (apart from spending them wisely?)