You are what you eat

You are what you eat

        We are all acquainted with the familiar expression: “you are what you eat” or “tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are”.  Well in this case I can say that we are eating “shit”, I’m sorry for the crude language but it’s the sad truth.

        I have been working as a food safety inspector for almost two months now and I have seen some restaurants that I can only describe as a crime scene:  It’s like hurricane Katrina passed through the kitchen.

During my studies abroad I France and Switzerland I have visited many restaurants and checked their kitchens: the level of hygiene and food safety protocol is impeccable. Therefore, there is no level of comparison with our local standards which are primitive for lack of a better cognitive word.  But even abroad, some restaurants meet the minimum required rules and not more. 

         I’m not over dramatizing the situation, because we are all living it and we know it, drastic solutions are needed to uproot future similar problems.  You don’t have to be a food scientist or quality controller to understand the minimum basics of hygiene, the ones you apply subconsciously at home.

Furthermore, a few elite restaurants have surpassed my expectations and are truly worth an A⁺ , their commitment to customer care and continuous improvement have really made my day. Sadly, they cannot tip the scale when comparing to sub standards restaurants.

The solution is held by the consumer:

•  Dare to ask and check the restaurants background, his quality certificates…

• Be vigilant to the personal hygiene of the staff 
•  Visual inspection, smell and sensory evaluation are clear and simple methods to determine if your food is freshly cooked or prepared.

•  Usually international brands and its affiliate are somewhat a sure option for they have strict norms to follow from the mother company. (However, do not be blinded by that fact)

•  Speak up: when you encounter a problem, leave a comment, talk to the manager and tell everybody you know about what happened.

        Finally, after the recent outbreak of bad and expired products people are being more aware, and new laws are being legislated as we speak. The food sector is having a makeover with a combined effort of the health sector and food scientists and processing engineers.

        I’m proud to be working on that level and making a difference, I wish I could publish a list with all the restaurants to avoid and ban from your every day consumption and the ones where you can actually feel good eating at. However, having signed a confidentiality contract I’m bound by it but rest assure soon the truth will be unfolded.