Yahoo Lifestyle 6 Common Mistakes You’re Probably Making at the Salad Bar, According to Food Safety Experts
It’s easy to see why salad bars are so popular. They’re stocked with way more ingredients than you have at home and you get your meal ASAP instead of having to wait for it to be made.
But since salad bars are a shared space, there’s also a bigger chance of cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses than if you left the salad-making to the chefs. In fact, according to food safety experts, there are several common mistakes people often make at the salad bar that they may not be aware of.
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6 Mistakes Food Safety Experts Wish People Would Stop Making At the Salad Bar
1. Cleaning up after yourself
Salad bars can get messy. Dressing drips as you bring it from its ladle to your plate, ingredients spill from the tongs … If you’re a considerate person, your gut instinct may be to clean the mess up yourself. But according to food safety experts, it’s better to tell the waitstaff and have them do it.
“A staff member should be fully trained on how to correctly clean a spill, so they have the appropriate level of food safety expertise to take care of it,” explains Patrick Guzzle, the vice president of food science at the National Restaurant Association. Guzzle adds that it’s part of the wait staff’s job to monitor the salad bar, so you shouldn’t feel bad about asking them for help. “If you ask someone from the restaurant to clean up a spill, it provides them an extra chance to monitor other items on the salad bar to ensure those items are still safe,” he says, adding that they can also check to see if any ingredients need to be refreshed.
Matthew Taylor, MCIEH, CEnvH, the senior manager and consulting lead for the National Sanitation Foundation, says that if you accidentally spill any ingredients causing them to mix with another one, this is another time to alert the waitstaff. This is because someone else could have a food allergy or sensitivity to the ingredient you dropped.
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2. Getting ingredients with your hands
Is it really that big of a deal to grab a few croutons with your hands? In the eyes of food safety experts, it’s not cool. “Even with thorough handwashing, hands can carry microorganisms from surfaces, clothing or personal contact, potentially contaminating the food,” says Dr. Vanessa Coffman, PhD, director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness at Stop Foodborne Illness. In other words, even if you don’t feel sick, your hands might be carrying germs that could make someone else sick, which can end up on the ingredients you touch but don’t take.
Guzzle agrees, adding, “There is a nasty little virus named norovirus which causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps—it’s very unpleasant for a few days. You can still shed norovirus for several days after you no longer have symptoms. This is one of the many reasons why food employees are required to wash their hands frequently and use gloves or other methods to avoid handling foods with their bare hands. The same applies to us: We should not handle foods in a salad bar or buffet setting with our bare hands.”
Instead of using your hands to get something from the salad bar, Dr. Coffman says it’s best to use the designated serving utensils—yes, even if all you want is a couple croutons!
3. Using the same plate for seconds
When it comes to going back for round two, you may think that using the same plate makes the most sense. Hey, it cuts down on having another one for the restaurant staff to wash, right? But Dr. Coffman says this is yet another way you could unknowingly share germs through food residue or salvia. So don’t feel bad about using another plate; the restaurant workers will be glad you’re taking the extra step to keep other customers safe.
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4. Using the same utensils to get multiple ingredients
It certainly would save time to use the same spoon or tongs to get your salad toppings—especially if they are right next to each other. Unfortunately, this shortcut increases the risk of foodborne illness. “Sharing utensils between items can spread allergens and pathogens, especially if a utensil used for raw proteins comes into contact with ready-to-eat foods. Cross-contamination poses a serious risk to food safety and can compromise the health of others,” Dr. Coffman says.
Taylor agrees, saying that using only the designated utensils reduces the risk of cross-contamination, which can be especially important for those with allergies, intolerances, dietary restrictions or religious preferences.
5. Using your own cutlery to get ingredients
Along this same vein, all three food experts say that using your own cutlery at the salad bar is a no-go. “Using your own cutlery is highly discouraged, as it may not be properly cleaned or sanitized and could lead to food becoming contaminated,” Taylor says. Dr. Coffman explains that even if your cutlery appears to be clean, it may not meet the sanitation standards required for use in food service areas. “Once the cutlery touches the food, it can transfer these contaminants, potentially putting others at risk,” she says.
6. Tasting food before you’re at the table
As tempting as it is to take a little bite of something while you make your plate, all three experts say that it’s important to wait until you’re back at your table to start eating. “This is not sanitary and can lead to cross-contamination,” Taylor says. With this in mind, wait until you’re seated to dig into your delicious salad. It will make the dining experience better for everyone.
Consider this list a good reminder that eating at a restaurant—especially one with a buffet or salad bar—requires different rules than eating at home. After all, you’re sharing the space with a lot more people. Salad bars can be safe and delicious, as long as everyone abides by some simple food safety rules. Besides, doesn’t your meal taste way better when you don’t have to worry about getting sick from it?
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Sources
Patrick Guzzle, vice president of Food Science at the National Restaurant Association
Matthew Taylor, MCIEH, CEnvH, senior manager and consulting lead for the National Sanitation Foundation
Dr. Vanessa Coffman, PhD., director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness at Stop Foodborne Illness
