# Health Department and bare hand food contact

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-department-and-bare-hand-food-contact/308222>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 14, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-department-and-bare-hand-food-contact/308222 "2005-06-14T15:14:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-department-and-bare-hand-food-contact/308222/1 "2005-06-14T15:14:26Z")

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I was eating sushi at a very nice place recently and I saw a framed certificate on the wall documentating that the department of health inspected the premises and was allowing glove-less handling of foodstuff. The chef told me it was a big deal and the inspector was very demanding. I am cool with that.

However, I was in a quicky mart type store that sells slices of pizza that is in a rotating heated display. Customers help themselves. I watched as someone sneezed into their hand, then immediately opened the pizza display and got a slice. In the process of seperating their slice, they handled adjacent slices. I walked out feeling a tad queasy.

How does the department of health justify this apparent dichotomy? Why is self-serve food permitted?

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**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-department-and-bare-hand-food-contact/308222/2 "2005-06-14T19:44:18Z")

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In Alabama, a quicky mart is considered a “Limited Food Service Establishment” - [Regulations in evil PDF form here](http://www.adph.org/ENVIRONMENTAL/FOODRULE%20-%20Revised%202002.pdf)

Limited Food Service Establishments sell “food” that arrives at the place already cooked. I use the term “food” loosely because this means meats, cheeses, or any combination of the same. Such as hotdogs or pizza. If the correct temperature is maintained and a bare minimum of contamination precautions are done (the little door on the rotisserie), it’s fine to sell. As long as it doesn’t cool. Power goes out, everything \*should be \* tossed. Theoretically, because it’s already cooked and remains at nuclear temperature, it’s safe to eat.

But, as a former public health food inspector, I will conceed that I do not eat quicky mart food. Just because some wahoo got the bright idea to sell pre-cooked pizza by the slice doesn’t mean that I want to take my chances on the Wheel-O-Contamination. Who knows who touched that food before me?

And don’t get me started on all-you-can-eat buffets.

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-department-and-bare-hand-food-contact/308222/3 "2005-06-14T19:48:37Z")

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Thanks, **DeVena**.  
I need some reassurance that I am not going off the deep end in never eating food handled by my hepatitis excreting neighbors. 😃