# A cook spits in your food. So? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 21, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200 "2002-06-21T04:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/1 "2002-06-21T04:05:53Z")
Warning: The subject of this thread may be disturbing to persons with over-active imaginations. This subject came up at work today, because someone saw a program on tv about some cooks messing with customer’s food. It started as an opinion, but instantly became a rather heated debate. So I’m posting it here, in GD. Are you harmed, in any way, if a healthy, disease-free cook spits in your food? And you don’t know about it? Remember, we’re talking about the _idea_ of saliva in food, not disease, and you have _no_ idea that it’s there. I say no, there is no harm. I’m sure I can find cites to prove there are no health risks in disease-free spit. Even a green loogie. The cook’s an idiot, but you’re unharmed. Show me the fallacy in my arguement. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/2 "2002-06-21T04:26:11Z")
Medically? Nah, you’ll probably be fine. Especially if the saliva gets well-cooked. It’d be pretty much psychological, and would therefore probably vary from person to person. Personally, it wouldn’t bother me that much, but then I once collected my own stool sample. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/3 "2002-06-21T07:43:34Z")
I think the weakness in your argument is that it hinges on the idea that we should only be concerned about whether our food contains pathogens; sure you’re not harmed, but you were deliberately given something which you would never consciously choose to eat; I would be just as irate if I discovered that the chef had prepared the sauce using mashed mealworms (if that’s something that could not have been reasonably expected to be in there); for me, it’s a question of ethics, not hygiene. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/4 "2002-06-21T08:17:49Z")
You _could_ compare this to a vegetarian being surreptitiously fed animal products; is there a problem if they don’t know? - after all, it wouldn’t do them any _harm_, would it? Third party saliva is an ingredient that I choose to exclude from my diet. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/5 "2002-06-21T10:56:20Z")
Anyone who ever eats out has consumed this (spit), and probably worse, many times. Waiting staff can be extremely fickle. Lesson- don’t ever mess with anyone serving you food. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/6 "2002-06-21T13:13:05Z")
How about I take a shit in your food mangeorge? It probably wouldn’t hurt you, right? Or maybe stir your drink with my cock? Like most people, I’m sure you don’t want to eat something that came out of or touched my mouth, ass or genetalia. What’s the debate here? ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/7 "2002-06-21T13:22:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\*How about I take a shit in your food mangeorge? It probably wouldn’t hurt you, right? Or maybe stir your drink with my cock? \*\* Gives a whole new meaning to the word ‘cocktail.’ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/8 "2002-06-21T13:22:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > **How about I take a shit in your food mangeorge? It probably wouldn’t hurt you, right** It probably would, especially if it was a salad. (but I agree with your point - it isn’t just a case of the tangible harm done). Anyway, **mangeorge** , please tell me you’re not a chef. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/9 "2002-06-21T14:57:35Z")
Let’s limit the contaminent, for this discussion, to spit. OK? For the sake of simplicity. The same thing happened at work. Some people went off on all manner of other substances, The point is not _what_ it is, but do you _know_ it’s there. The same arguement could made if the cook called you a really vile name under his/her breath and you didn’t hear it. I guess I’m not making myself very clear. The harm is in the knowing, not in the spit itself. You go out to eat, you enjoy a delicious meal, and go home happier than when you left. _Unharmed_. The harm would occur at the moment **msmith537** learned of the spit in his (the cock is the clue 😉 ) food. Not before. Rest assured, though, that I’d never spit in anyone’s food. I’m fastidious about cleanliness when I cook. I’m one of those people who cook with a sinkful of soapy water handy and I clean as I go. And I’ve never worked in food service. I have, though, called people vile names under my breath. But you should see how I make doughnuts. 😃 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/10 "2002-06-21T15:13:53Z")
mangeorge wrote, in the OP: > [@](#): > > Are you harmed, in any way, if a healthy, disease-free cook spits in your food? How do we know the cook is disease-free? He could be carrying any number of diseases and not know it. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/11 "2002-06-21T15:14:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LolaCocaCola \* > Gives a whole new meaning to the word ‘cocktail.’ > > :eek: \*\* Funny story…not the right forum though.🙂 There’s an old saying. It goes something like “you don’t ever want to see where your food is actually prepared”. So in other words, I would rather not know about the spit, rat droppings, floor pie or any of the other ingredients that go into my meals. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/12 "2002-06-21T15:41:15Z")
**msmith537** say’s; > [@](#): > > There’s an old saying. It goes something like “you don’t ever want to see where your food is actually prepared”. So in other words, I would rather not know about the spit, rat droppings, floor pie or any of the other ingredients that go into my meals. _ **Exactly!** _ So you leave the restaurant well-fed, happy, and better off than when you entered. Whew! Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/13 "2002-06-21T15:47:30Z")
If I were to spit in your face, and not get you sick, would it bother you? (Let me say, I don’t want to spit in anyone’s face…just raising the question.) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/14 "2002-06-21T17:17:44Z")
Well, **Lord Ashtar** , I think it would be kinda hard to spit in someone’s face without them knowing about it. 😕 But no, if such a thing were possible, it would not bother me. How on earth could it if I didn’t know? High time for a :smack: , I think. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/15 "2002-06-21T17:50:33Z")
Obviously, my friend, it is damn near impossible to spit in someone’s face without them knowing about it. The only point I was trying to make there is that spitting on someone (or in this case, in someone’s food) is an act of disrespect. Basically what I get from your posts here is that if someone does something disrespectful to you, and you don’t find out about it, then it’s all good. I disagree. Just because you don’t find out about it doesn’t make it okay. Suppose you go to a restaurant, and you piss off the waiter. He spits in your food. You don’t find out about it. You leave a big tip, because the waiter was so nice to you the whole time. Later, a friend who works at said restaurant tells you he saw this waiter spit in your food. He has a security video (a reach, I know, just bear with me here) showing this happened. Can you honestly tell me you would be such a pushover as to just let this slide? At the very least, I would go get my tip money back and possibly try to get him fired. Obviously, if you never find out about it, there’s nothing you can do. However, you not finding out about it doesn’t make it okay. ---
**Author:** ![YiBaiYuan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f475e1/32.png) [@YiBaiYuan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YiBaiYuan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/16 "2002-06-21T18:06:44Z")
Mangeorge’s point seems to be that as long as you don’t know that something was done to you, you don’t care about it. True. Everybody else seems to be saying, just because you don’t know about it doesn’t mean it isn’t despicable. Also true. I think most people who eat out suspect that there are gross things happening behind the door to the kitchen, they just choose to not think about it. This is the only reason that restaurants can stay in business. If we did think about it for even a few minutes, we’d stop going. Almost everyone has at least heard of these kinds of stories, most people have seen instances of this on the “hidden camera” TV shows, and many people have worked at restaurants at some point in their lives and have seen it first hand. Still we go out to eat. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/17 "2002-06-21T18:50:40Z")
I’ve known a lot of people who do work in the food service business. Staff messing with customer’s food is _probably_ not the norm. And not “OK”. The effect on the unwary victim? is nil, so, the act itself is wasted. This fact alone makes the spitter to be the idiot. Cowards suffer their own private hell. What an empty feeling it must be, to commit such a loathsome act and have the target of one’s vileness leave happy and totally unaffected by that act. Talk about a loser! I don’t know. I never done such a thing. Excuse me, It’s time to go get some lunch. A cheeseburger, I think. Peace, mangeorge, the Oblivious. Defender of Weather Forcasters and the Liberal Mass Media. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/18 "2002-06-21T21:41:35Z")
The point is that if you don’t know about it, you _can’t_ care about it! - that doesn’t make it any more acceptable a thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/19 "2002-06-21T22:14:45Z")
Touchy subject, huh? Nobody here, or at work, ever said it was an acceptable thing to do. We are so much at the mercy of others when we interact with society. So very vunerable. But that’s okay. Even Rambo, or G.W. Bush, or even Brittany Spears has likely eaten somebody else’s spit. Picture _that_. Very comforting. 😃 BTW; instead of a cheeseburger, I had spaghetti with meatballs, in marinara sauce. Yum, probably. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200/20 "2002-06-21T22:57:04Z")
No, you didn’t say it was acceptable, but in my reading, you seemed to be implying that it was no big deal… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cook-spits-in-your-food-so/115200.md?page=2)