There was just an incident locally where many people were sickened at an office Christmas party. It wasn't the usual food poisoning as the victims became ill almost immediately after eating and, normally, food poisoning kicks in some few hours after eating. The party was catered and it turned out that the culprit has something to do with the chemical used to heat the chafing dishes. Don't quote me, that's just what I think I heard.
But it started a conversation about holiday food and " stranger danger." I was reminded of a similar incident at an office where Dear Daughter worked several years ago. At an office Christmas party where employees brought dishes, many people who ate the mayonnaise laced food became ill. A new company rule was established...no homemade food at office parties.
Dear DIL reported that one can no longer take homemade goods to the school. No cupcakes for the teachers' lounge, no birthday cake for the little ones celebration, no cake or cookies for a fund raising bake sale! You can only bring pre-packaged commercial food items. And if the packaging has been compromised, torn, broken into, it cannot be served.
So, am I wrong to take homemade baked goods to my doctors? Are they foolish to accept and eat them? At least if they get sick they know what to do. If I bake a cake I often give a slice to the girl across the street who does not cook much. Am I endangering her health? She's a nurse so I might be able to convince her that she caught food poisoning from one of her patients. Oh, you don't think it works that way?
There is no way I will be buying commercially made baked goods for my doctors. It's the homemade way or the highway. Perhaps the hospital, in spite of being in the health care business, has not instituted the new "food police" rules. I know that during this past Christmas season I saw staff people carrying trays and plates of food in and it was not hermetically sealed. We can't protect ourselves from everything!
But it started a conversation about holiday food and " stranger danger." I was reminded of a similar incident at an office where Dear Daughter worked several years ago. At an office Christmas party where employees brought dishes, many people who ate the mayonnaise laced food became ill. A new company rule was established...no homemade food at office parties.
Dear DIL reported that one can no longer take homemade goods to the school. No cupcakes for the teachers' lounge, no birthday cake for the little ones celebration, no cake or cookies for a fund raising bake sale! You can only bring pre-packaged commercial food items. And if the packaging has been compromised, torn, broken into, it cannot be served.
So, am I wrong to take homemade baked goods to my doctors? Are they foolish to accept and eat them? At least if they get sick they know what to do. If I bake a cake I often give a slice to the girl across the street who does not cook much. Am I endangering her health? She's a nurse so I might be able to convince her that she caught food poisoning from one of her patients. Oh, you don't think it works that way?
There is no way I will be buying commercially made baked goods for my doctors. It's the homemade way or the highway. Perhaps the hospital, in spite of being in the health care business, has not instituted the new "food police" rules. I know that during this past Christmas season I saw staff people carrying trays and plates of food in and it was not hermetically sealed. We can't protect ourselves from everything!
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