Hygiene in Dublin Fast food restaurants.

Dublinstiofán

Was out for lunch today and I just happened to notice that there is one place that does have the proper hygiene procedures in place. Got to hand it to them they are the one place I have seen in Dublin that do the job right. The new HB Swirl it Ice Cream shops in Dublin adapted the height of cleanliness since they opened and continue to hold the highest of standards, in my opinion.

Maybe people never noticed this but whenever you get something to eat in Mac Donald’s or Burger king etc. The cashier’s hands are filthy if they have been working on the Tills for any length of time. I have never once seen an employee of a fast food restaurant after ringing up your order on the dirty till, handling the dirty money you give them proceeding to put on a pair of hygienic gloves to go and get your order and serve it to you. I wouldn't imagine they are thought properly in the first place by these chains.

This is however the case in the HB Swirl it shops. They firstly ask for your order put on the gloves, make your order and then finally when you have your ice cream in your grasp they then take off the gloves and sort out charging you for it. One of their employees was disposing of their gloves each time they finished an order whilst another was using the same pair but putting them on when going to make an ice cream. The whole place was spotless and machines were shining. Top marks lads and HB at least somebody is teaching their employees correctly. I’d say Mac D’s and Burger kings just don’t give a s**t. They could adopt new procedures any time they want but are just too god damn lazy. This is only scraping the surface too. God knows what else goes on in these establishments.

Just something to think about next time you sink your teeth into your Big Mac. I'd say most don't even realise it anymore as its always been the same.
Things have come on leaps and bounds Hygiene wise in Dublin in recent years tho.

Opinions, thoughts, Stories about same etc. Anybody actually worked in one that knows what goes on?

Zombrex

I think McDonalds cashiers aren't supposed to touch your food, which is why they use that big scoop thing for the chips.

I did once see a guy in burger king take out the bin, come back and start serviving people again without washing his hands. Needless to say I moved to another queue

God knows what goes one in the kitchen. I've heard some horror stories that would put you off ever eating there again. But then you never know what is going one in the kitches in resturants, you just have to hope that they have an enforced high standard of hygene and that they are inspected a lot by health inspectors.

Archeron

After a pub lunch in a pub in Dublin, I was drinking my coffee, and to my horror, found a half chewed lump of chicken in the bottom. When I pointed this out to a member of the kitchen staff, she laughed and told me that it was a prize. And of course, I didnt notice it in the cup til I was nearly finished and it slid out when I tilted the cup a bit.

I dread to think how it could have ended up there.

Mossy Monk

Archeron wrote:

I was drinking my coffee, and to my horror, found a half chewed lump of chicken in the bottom. When I pointed this out to a member of the kitchen staff, she laughed and told me that it was a prize

classy

zuutroy

When I worked in a busy Dublin cafe, it was not uncommon on a busy Saturday to just run used cups under the tap for a few seconds and re-use them due to a lack of crockery. Likewise with teaspoons.

I have to say fussing over gloves etc doesn't really bother me. Short of being served in a class 1 cleanroom theres always going to be germs floating around. Thats what your immune system is for. If you were to really get anal about it, you'd go hungry

Zombrex

zuutroy wrote:

I have to say fussing over gloves etc doesn't really bother me. Short of being served in a class 1 cleanroom theres always going to be germs floating around. Thats what your immune system is for. If you were to really get anal about it, you'd go hungry

Its also far more hygientic for the start not to use gloves and just wash their hands. Or change gloves with each order which hardly any place does

Dublinstiofán

Wicknight wrote:

I did once see a guy in burger king take out the bin, come back and start serviving people again without washing his hands. Needless to say I moved to another queue

How they get away with it with sometimes with two-three managers in these restaruants at any given time is unbelievable. If i was a manager they would be out on their ear after doing something like that. It's probably something to do with the fact they may struggle to hold onto staff.

These problems start with the training process in these establishments or looking even further back in the home. People that are not thought how to be hygienic in the home at an early age makes it a lot harder for them to ever be. If the basic training isn't given at an early age i think it can nearly be forgotten about. It's like training yourself to wear a seatbelt you know it could save your life but you sometimes forget on occation to put it on. If you are thought properly to do these things while young you form good habbits and these are so much easier to form as a child than when grown up.

The amount of people i see leaving the bathrooms in places after going to the toilet without even washing their hands is unbelievable. I even saw a man do same and then go out and recommense feeding his baby its bottle.
Its disgusting

Archeron

Archeron wrote:

After a pub lunch in a pub in Dublin, I was drinking my coffee, and to my horror, found a half chewed lump of chicken in the bottom. When I pointed this out to a member of the kitchen staff, she laughed and told me that it was a prize. And of course, I didnt notice it in the cup til I was nearly finished and it slid out when I tilted the cup a bit.

I dread to think how it could have ended up there.

Where?

Alessandra

I worked in a fast food outlet for a couple of years and I'm telling you I had constantly chaffed hands from the amount of washing and scrubbing hands we did. I think we had a 15 minute rule or some such. Every 15 minutes wash your hands. Not to mention bringing the bins out or if the manager caught you fixing your hair. I think as long as you aren't involved in food prep qand are just putting a box on a tray then 15min rule is enough. I know plenty off people who didn't wash their hands after toilet break though :eek:

Dublinstiofán

zuutroy wrote:

I have to say fussing over gloves etc doesn't really bother me. Short of being served in a class 1 cleanroom theres always going to be germs floating around. Thats what your immune system is for. If you were to really get anal about it, you'd go hungry

I'm not fussing about it just pointing out the fact that its not really noticed and that it would be so easy to change if these chains were arsed to change it.
I went over and had a meal in Mac D's after i saw this place and it was lovely.

Dublinstiofán

Alessandra wrote:

I worked in a fast food outlet for a couple of years and I'm telling you I had constantly chaffed hands from the amount of washing and scrubbing hands we did. I think we had a 15 minute rule or some such. Every 15 minutes wash your hands. Not to mention bringing the bins out or if the manager caught you fixing your hair. I think as long as you aren't involved in food prep qand are just putting a box on a tray then 15min rule is enough. I know plenty off people who didn't wash their hands after toilet break though :eek:

These rules can be set down but how many people actually obey them is a different story. As you said the manager had to enforce them. If the manager wasn't enforcing these rules half the employees probably wouldnt be arsed. Nice to hear that there is one of these establihments with a 15 min rule

ThrownAway

My friend used to work in O'Breins and after she finished she wouldn't go there to eat if you know what I mean :eek:

Archeron

Deleted User wrote:

Where?

Clondalkin village.

Zapp Brannigan

Archeron wrote:

Clondalkin village.

Wasnt The Village Inn was it?

Dave!

I'm not really that fussy about the cashier handling food... I'm not that squeamish. As someone said earlier, that's what your immune system is for. It's unlikely that you'll contract hepatitis in this manner

groundedplane

I try not to think about any kind of restaurant because what you don’t know wont kill you, as the saying goes. Many years ago I worked in several kitchens while in College to have a drinking fund as such. One restaurant right across the road from Christ Church is one I worked in. They had two chefs and a trainee chef. The senior chef was the nastiest f*ucker you could imagine. His hands from the business were torn up with Dermatitis, raw red so they were. He tired to were gloves but it made it worst. The other chef was a prick also, no word of a lie, he used to pick the jocks out of his arse while working and preparing food. The sea food restaurant in which I am speaking about is well know in Dublin. For me I have 10 years later not eaten sea food since, simply the smell will bring it right back to me and those two chefs.

Also, the two chefs would smoke in the kitchen and would hold the smoke in their mouths while preparing food.

God only knows what goes on with Kitchen staff especially Fast Food Joints.

HelterSkelter

Dublinstiof&#225 wrote: »

Maybe people never noticed this but whenever you get something to eat in Mac Donald’s or Burger king etc. The cashier’s hands are filthy if they have been working on the Tills for any length of time. I have never once seen an employee of a fast food restaurant after ringing up your order on the dirty till, handling the dirty money you give them proceeding to put on a pair of hygienic gloves to go and get your order and serve it to you. I wouldn't imagine they are thought properly in the first place by these chains.

The cashiers in McDonalds don't handle the food. The food is prepared in the back and wrapped. The cashier only handles the packaging.

I think you are a bit obsessed about this. There is a lot of evidence that modern diseases (asthma, IBD) are linked to us living in too clean an enviornment.

gary the great

I have worked as both an Environemtnal Health officer and in a fast food restuarant in my day and I can honestly tell you that the fast food restaurants are a hell of a lot cleaner than most other places. They have very strict rules which the managers must enforce.

As was pointed out the cashier is not ment to touch the food, just the burger box and fry carton although some do touch the fries but get over it its very unlikely to cause you any harm as the temperature of the fries will be quite high and thus the amount of bacteria being transported onto the food and surviving would be quite low.

By far the worst are the chinese and indian and other ethnic places, some of them are unbelievable and im saying that from viewing them day in day out

cerebis

I worked in a few McDonald's and I have to say that they are very clean and also very strict on hygine. We had to constantly clean the place! I'd have no problem eating there although, i'm sick of fast food these days!

groundedplane

There was a rumor that the Chinese Curry Shop were using cat and dog in Crumlin Village years ago. They were shut down and had their license revoked. No sure how truthful the cat and dog thing was, but there were shut down after a number of complaints that the Chicken did not taste like chicken.

Villaricos

Wicknight wrote:

Or change gloves with each order which hardly any place does

Now thats completely unessasary sorry! seriously I work in a cafe/resturant and its perfectly clean but the gloves? theyre only for show in front of customers. we only use gloves in the kitchen if we need to mix stuff and its messy!
having said that my manager mixed a huge bowl of coleslaw the other day with his hands, we'd run out of gloves. what ya dont know doesnt hurt ya!

nlgbbbblth

Was in a pub in Streatham a few years ago and was waiting for a cubicle to become free in the toilets.

Heard a guy shi*ting loudly [lots of sharting and grunting] and exchanged grins with other guys in the queue.

All of a sudden the cubicle door opens and the occupant emerges, rubbing his hands and says - 'you can't beat a good sh*t' to nobody in particular. He walks out without washing his hands.

I go into the cubicle and immediately recoil in horror as there is sh*t on the seat, against the lid....all over.

When I got back out I was telling my friend about it. Suddenly I noticed the guy at the bar and said to my friend (who lived nearby) 'That's the guy'.

My friend says 'he's a chef in the Indian across the road'.

And sure enough the guy leaves and we see him walking into the takeaway to presumably resume his shift.

a couple of hours later we walk past and we see him behind the counter, chatting to people.
:eek:

ball ox

Dublinstiof&#225 wrote: »

Was out for lunch today and I just happened to notice that there is one place that does have the proper hygiene procedures in place. Got to hand it to them they are the one place I have seen in Dublin that do the job right. The new HB Swirl it Ice Cream shops in Dublin adapted the height of cleanliness since they opened and continue to hold the highest of standards, in my opinion.

Maybe people never noticed this but whenever you get something to eat in Mac Donald’s or Burger king etc. The cashier’s hands are filthy if they have been working on the Tills for any length of time. I have never once seen an employee of a fast food restaurant after ringing up your order on the dirty till, handling the dirty money you give them proceeding to put on a pair of hygienic gloves to go and get your order and serve it to you. I wouldn't imagine they are thought properly in the first place by these chains.

This is however the case in the HB Swirl it shops. They firstly ask for your order put on the gloves, make your order and then finally when you have your ice cream in your grasp they then take off the gloves and sort out charging you for it. One of their employees was disposing of their gloves each time they finished an order whilst another was using the same pair but putting them on when going to make an ice cream. The whole place was spotless and machines were shining. Top marks lads and HB at least somebody is teaching their employees correctly. I’d say Mac D’s and Burger kings just don’t give a s**t. They could adopt new procedures any time they want but are just too god damn lazy. This is only scraping the surface too. God knows what else goes on in these establishments.

Just something to think about next time you sink your teeth into your Big Mac. I'd say most don't even realise it anymore as its always been the same.
Things have come on leaps and bounds Hygiene wise in Dublin in recent years tho.

Opinions, thoughts, Stories about same etc. Anybody actually worked in one that knows what goes on?

Just out of curiousoty OP, after handing over your cash and receiving your food, did you wash your hands before you ate it? I used to work with a woman who used to constantly bitch about cashiers not washing their hands but would happily eat something after touching cash herself. I think some people are a bit obsessed.

Zombrex

gary the great wrote:

By far the worst are the chinese and indian and other ethnic places, some of them are unbelievable and im saying that from viewing them day in day out

THats true. THe only places I've ever got bad food poisioning were from dodgy India or Chinese places. In fairness to McDonalds or Burger King I've never got even a hint of food posioning from them, and I would eat there at least once a month

InFront

I find it quite funny that the emphasis of your worry is on the cashier touching money with her hands, and not the real garbage that you are consuming in those places!:p

Its interesting that its the real blackspots for hygiense seem to be the speciality food places. Do you mean real restaurants or just take-away?

Burger King on O Connell street is (last time I went in there, last year?) a disgrace. Syringes in the bathroom and very little security. The smell was unhuman as well.

DublinWriter

Dublinstiof&#225 wrote: »

Maybe people never noticed this but whenever you get something to eat in Mac Donald’s or Burger king etc. The cashier’s hands are filthy if they have been working on the Tills for any length of time.

Er hello? When you they actually touch your food as opposed to the outside of the wrapping it's in? McDonalds are one of the strictest outfits going when it comes to hygiene and procedures.

As they say in Eddie Rockets "Cooked in sight, gotta be right".

You're in greater danger from being poisoned in a top-notch restaurant than a major fast food joint. For example, most Italian restaurants with put a bowl of breads/bread sticks out for you as a free entreè. You think that bread has been laid out especially for you and the ones you don't eat go straight in the bin? No way! People have been coughing over that bread most of the night before you get it.

lostexpectation

groundedplane wrote:

There was a rumor that the Chinese Curry Shop were using cat and dog in Crumlin Village years ago. They were shut down and had their license revoked. No sure how truthful the cat and dog thing was, but there were shut down after a number of complaints that the Chicken did not taste like chicken.

well aslong as the cat or dog wasn't deseased and prepared cleanly whats the prob.

Dave!

ball ox wrote:

Just out of curiousoty OP, after handing over your cash and receiving your food, did you wash your hands before you ate it? I used to work with a woman who used to constantly bitch about cashiers not washing their hands but would happily eat something after touching cash herself. I think some people are a bit obsessed.

hah, excellent question !

InFront

Thats a complete urban myth about about cats and dogs in the chinese restaurants imo. For one there isnt enough meat on them to be worthwhile (especially cats) and how many cats and dogs would be needed for that sort of thing on a long term basis. Doesnt make any sense.

samgreene

Some people are just cleaner than others. My niece works in a restaurant. She and her co-workers all received the same training but she tells me that their ideas of hygiene are all completely different. I do agree that most of the HB swirl shops seem to have a good standard of cleanliness but once I saw a man behind the counter in the Carlow shop handling the cones with his bare hands and then dropping a spoon on the floor and putting it back in a dish without so much as rinsing it. It's really put me off going there.

Saila

and some are more observent too

John_Rambo

How often do you weak bellied sissies get food poisoned from these horrific hygiene misdemeanors?

Oh, never ever ever ever visit SEAsia, Malaysia or other far flung parts of the world, you would simply die the second you get off the plane.

ThisRegard

John_Rambo wrote: »

How often do you weak bellied sissies get food poisoned from these horrific hygiene misdemeanors?

Oh, never ever ever ever visit SEAsia, Malaysia or other far flung parts of the world, you would simply die the second you get off the plane.

Have you been to Malaysia, were you eating off the side of the streets ? Some of the best meals I've had were there, fantastic food over there.

John_Rambo

ThisRegard wrote: »

Have you been to Malaysia, were you eating off the side of the streets ? Some of the best meals I've had were there, fantastic food over there.

Malaysia, Vietnam, Borneo... eaten the weirdest things all over the world. Things I couldn't eat here because of the stupid stupid health and safety laws here.

People crying about germs.

I can't even get a rare burger here.

Dotrel

Archeron wrote: »

After a pub lunch in a pub in Dublin, I was drinking my coffee, and to my horror, found a half chewed lump of chicken in the bottom. When I pointed this out to a member of the kitchen staff, she laughed and told me that it was a prize. And of course, I didnt notice it in the cup til I was nearly finished and it slid out when I tilted the cup a bit.

I dread to think how it could have ended up there.

That's a definite name&shame there.

Mint Sauce

Dublinstiofán wrote: »

Was out for lunch today and I just happened to notice that there is one place that does have the proper hygiene procedures in place. Got to hand it to them they are the one place I have seen in Dublin that do the job right. The new HB Swirl it Ice Cream shops in Dublin adapted the height of cleanliness since they opened and continue to hold the highest of standards, in my opinion.

Maybe people never noticed this but whenever you get something to eat in Mac Donald’s or Burger king etc. The cashier’s hands are filthy if they have been working on the Tills for any length of time. I have never once seen an employee of a fast food restaurant after ringing up your order on the dirty till, handling the dirty money you give them proceeding to put on a pair of hygienic gloves to go and get your order and serve it to you. I wouldn't imagine they are thought properly in the first place by these chains.

This is however the case in the HB Swirl it shops. They firstly ask for your order put on the gloves, make your order and then finally when you have your ice cream in your grasp they then take off the gloves and sort out charging you for it. One of their employees was disposing of their gloves each time they finished an order whilst another was using the same pair but putting them on when going to make an ice cream. The whole place was spotless and machines were shining. Top marks lads and HB at least somebody is teaching their employees correctly. I’d say Mac D’s and Burger kings just don’t give a s**t. They could adopt new procedures any time they want but are just too god damn lazy. This is only scraping the surface too. God knows what else goes on in these establishments.

Just something to think about next time you sink your teeth into your Big Mac. I'd say most don't even realise it anymore as its always been the same.
Things have come on leaps and bounds Hygiene wise in Dublin in recent years tho.

Opinions, thoughts, Stories about same etc. Anybody actually worked in one that knows what goes on?

Well in places like McDonalds, theres alot more staff, each with a different role, ie, preparing food, wrapping the food, taking your order and giving the food to you. So the cashier is not directly touching your food, as its usally already wrapped before they give it to you.

At the ice cream stalls, there might only be one member of staff, and the ice cream may not be packaged, hence the use of gloves when handling it.

IvyTheTerrible

groundedplane wrote: »

There was a rumor that the Chinese Curry Shop were using cat and dog in Crumlin Village years ago. They were shut down and had their license revoked. No sure how truthful the cat and dog thing was, but there were shut down after a number of complaints that the Chicken did not taste like chicken.

No way anywhere got shut down cos something did not "taste like chicken".

If it got closed down, it was because of breaches of hygeine which were not resolved.

Jonybgud

Saila wrote: »

and some are more observent too

Yes, I see it was Sam Greene who did the exhumation here......:D

phasers

My friend ordered an ice cream in McDonalds on O'Connell St and then saw a rat run along the floor.

She still ate the ice cream.

Jonybgud

phasers wrote: »

She still ate the ice cream.

What the rat didn't want any?

phasers

Jonybgud wrote: »

What the rat didn't want any?

It was watching it's figure.

Jonybgud

phasers wrote: »

It was watching it's figure.

Zero?

John Doe1

Bunch o pansies worrying about hygiene in my day you only eat a potato when a rat licked it beorehand

Duckworth_Luas

John Doe1 wrote: »

Bunch o pansies worrying about hygiene in my day you only eat a potato when a rat licked it beorehand

Well in my day we had to lick the rat!

flash1080

Fúck me, I've travelled back in time.

UglyBolloxFace

Zombrex wrote: »

I think McDonalds cashiers aren't supposed to touch your food, which is why they use that big scoop thing for the chips.

I did once see a guy in burger king take out the bin, come back and start serviving people again without washing his hands. Needless to say I moved to another queue

Am I the only one who sees what's wrong with this? - if he was using that till, what's to say he wasn't using the other till which you moved to?

You should have left full stop.

saa

Honestly I don't care about the cashier not wearing gloves handing me my food not preparing, I mean come on we've all eaten something on the go without washing our hands opened doors, handled money and been fine.

What worries me is hygiene standards when it comes to meat prep and the employees personal hygiene not washing hands after coming from toilet, picking their noes.. yeah I've seen that, biting their nails in the kitchen got a clipping in my food before

but not so worried about catching something from someone but from rats in the kitchen, was eating some chips with friends at a bar on parnell st, sitting out the back behind the kitchens and we spotted a few rats running in and out they didn't seem scared of us, must be used to people ew.

strandroad

Zombrex wrote: »

Its also far more hygientic for the start not to use gloves and just wash their hands. Or change gloves with each order which hardly any place does

I would never return to a place where they use a new pair of gloves for every order. Think of the amount of rubbish they produce daily.

mconigol

Funnily enough I best a lot of people don't practice the safe food handling practices in their own homes that they expect when they're out.

Duckworth_Luas

mconigol wrote: »

Funnily enough I best a lot of people don't practice the safe food handling practices in their own homes that they expect when they're out.

Funnily enough most people know that their hands haven't been used to wipe their own arses just before they handle food at home!

mconigol

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Funnily enough most people know that their hands haven't been used to wipe their own arses just before they handle food at home!

Speak for yourself