Seafood counters-GROSS!

When I was in college I worked parttime at Kroger seafood counter. There were lots of health code rules we had to follow. We had to spray the floor down with sanitizer at the end of every shift which also included the floor of the walk in cooler. Everything we used had to be sanitized. Every knife, cutting board, etc. We always had to wear plastic gloves when handling any seafood at all. And of course we had to make sure our ENCLOSED fish case was well stocked so many inches high of ice. Never was the same ice to be used twice.
Well yesterday I went to Tesco and decided for the first time since moving here I will get some fresh fish. First of all I cannot believe this country doesnt have laws that enforce all seafood must be handled with gloves! AND why is the seafood counter open air where anyone at all is free to sneeze, cough or spit on it! Any child can slap a fish while walking by if they wanted to.
I bit the bullet and ordered a few pieces of cod and two pieces of salmon. I insisted the gloveless employee whom I hoped to hell hadnt just picked her nose or scratched her head, take the fish from the bottom of the pile. The fish that was lying on the ice.
As she gathered my goods I looked around and took note of what I would think would be at least 5 US health code violations. Yes I know we're not in Kansas anymore but geez, are there no regulations here?
If they arent gonna wear gloves they should at least have to wash their hands before handling food.
Also I wanted to mention I went to a brand new Tesco store. Not that it makes a difference.
I cannot imagine why people would buy fresh fish from the fish mongers van! Yuck!

on a side note....
One thing for everyone to know....if you touch certain fresh caviars with your bare hands the color changes from black to green. So lookout if you attend a party that has green spotted caviar!

Good points!! DH argues  that once you cook it at high enough  temps you kill anything anyway.. this from a guy who is  obsessive compulsive about washing his hands and touching anything he deems  "dirty".. 
I have noticed the same thing with the  butcher..  same hands that handle  meat handle money.. YUCK!! 

wot??? there isn't laws against fish slapping

wot??? there isn't laws against fish slapping

No Alicia!! It's perfectly legal here! Can you believe it!!

the disgrace     


anyway I do agree with you they are much lax on hygiene than the US but then again the US is more litigious so that possibly influences the motivation for shops to do so . I don't tend to use butcher /fish shop here in the UK anyway.

Camden is another place I avoid eating if I could particulary the food market stalls. When I first came here I went to camden and ate at a chinese noodle shop ...I was given a bowl of noodles with bird poo in them 

I was given I bowl of noodles with bird poo in them 

You were NOT!!!!

If you think about what goes in abbatoirs and at fish docks (where we don't see it), the handling of food in the shops is probably the least of our worries. And although meat is hygienically packaged in supermarkets, it will have been handled by (and coughed over etc etc) far more people before it gets there than the meat in the butchers.

I have the same gripe as well, but not with the seafood counters, but with the restaurants! I was in the food business back home for 10 years or so, and was responsible for food safety and hygeine, as well as contending with visitors from the health dept. Just looking around in a restaurant here, is enough to make me go off anything but home-made! I have watched butchers handle meat, take your money, and go on to the next customer, serving up their meat as well, without ever washing their hands!!! And no, they are not wearing gloves....it just sickens me.

If you think about what goes in abbatoirs and at fish docks (where we don't see it), the handling of food in the shops is probably the least of our worries. And although meat is hygienically packaged in supermarkets, it will have been handled by (and coughed over etc etc) far more people before it gets there than the meat in the butchers.

don't eat at any North London Hospital staff restaurant .......

Just don't think about what those critters get up to while their still alive  that'll put you off eating meat 

I have to disagree 100% here....I have not seen anyone slap a fish.  Cough or sneeze on it...

Go visit a meat packing or fish handling plant in the USA and then tell me which is grosser....

Sorry but the standards of seafood here are far superior to a good majority of what happens in the USA (some beach places aside)  Like bleach with your fish?  Dye to cover the fact that it is old?   Things shot in the eyes as well so it looks fresh? That sanitizer makes it onto the fish? Oh and gloves do not keep you from picking your nose, scratching your a$$ or getting a long gross hair stuck on top of your food.

Maybe what you are missing is a great fishmonger. Mine wears big plastic yellow gloves.  He and his wife remove their gloves to run Credit cards and collect notes.  They rinse their hands constantly and go through tons of towels and knives. Heck even Sanisbury's here in Devon is good. 

You should always rinse your meat and fish and pat dry at home before you prepare it no matter where you got it from.   

Sorry, but I guess I am a bit biased.  One thing I love love love about the UK and France and Spain is the fresh fish and the high quality of produce and food.  I understand things can gross people out, but just because it comes in a nice little package or because they use sanitizer does not mean that e-coli are absent. 

Also I have been at stores late enough to be able to tell you they don't reuse the ice.

If you really are desperate for some decent seafood, pickup a Rick Steins good Food guide. 

Or here is a online service

http://www.mstevensandson.co.uk/shop/index.php

They come highly recommended by Rick Stein and several other chefs as well as out local food magazine. 

If one feels the standards are really bad enough to endanger the public then I suggest a call or letter to the place in question would be a good idea as we don't need people keeling over with food poisoning.

I've not seen any fish slapping doesn't mean it doesn't happen  plus it's all relative really I've seen crap food practices both here and US. Come with me to few UK festivals to see how well their food stalls run ...there's bad apples wherever you go really. I think at the heart of it if the buyer just uses safe handling practices when they prepare their food you'll be alright. 

I do love French markets ..yummm.

I've not seen any fish slapping doesn't mean it happen plus it's all relative really I've seen crap food practices both here and US. Come with me to few UK festivals to see how well their food stalls run ...there's bad apples wherever you go really. I think at the heart of it if the buyer just uses safe handling practices when they prepare their food you'll be alright.

I do love French markets ..yummm.

I agree. You get bad food handling all over the world. And, really, it's what happens to the fish (or chicken or whatever) BEFORE it gets to my local supermarket that worries me! I just try not to think about that. Ignorance is bliss!

I have seen the mobile fish monger that parks on our street once a month. Gross! Still no gloves.
I have spoken to my mother about this as she works in dietary. She assures me that cooked food kills the germs that may be passed to food by handling or slapping 
But IMHO I dont think this makes it right. Nobody, wants to see their food handled with bare hands especially when the handler also handles cash.
I must admit I have never gotten sick from any fresh meat or seafood here but the whole open air/gloveless thing is just hard for me to get by.
I dont even want to think about what goes on in the kitchen of my favorite curry/chinese place!

Oh MANNNN!!!!!!  Just when I found out they have squid in my fish department I read this!!!  Well, looking at it yesterday though I almost lost my lunch and skipped it anyway.  One piece looked like rubber!  I could not believe they didn't remove it!  Blechhh

Oh MANNNN!!!!!!  Just when I found out they have squid in my fish department I read this!!!  Well, looking at it yesterday though I almost lost my lunch and skipped it anyway.  One piece looked like rubber!  I could not believe they didn't remove it!  Blechhh

Did ya give it a good slap Stacey? lol