Potlucks

LondonLisa · July 2018

Why you need to pay for professional caterers for large events who have taken food safety courses.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/remysmidt/pot-luck-feces-poop-north-carolina-party-shigella?origin=filsec

Not going to lie, I had a visceral reaction to this story.

Jen4948 · July 2018

Gross.

But not only this. Guests should never be asked to pay their own way at a wedding or any other "hosted" special event. All food and drinks should be provided by the hosts at their own expense, and if they can't afford to pay for food and beverages for their guests, served in a non-potluck format, they shouldn't invite guests.

charlotte989875 · July 2018

Gross. Just gross.

Also appropriate for today given how many people here are probably headed to potluck picnics.

6fsn · July 2018

To be fair this could happen with a catering company just as easily.

Jen4948 · July 2018

6fsn said:

To be fair this could happen with a catering company just as easily.

I agree that it could happen with a catering company, but unless it's a really bad one, its staff have been professionally trained in proper storage, cooking, and service of food and beverages to prevent this from happening. Plus, don't caterers have to be licensed? So I don't think it would happen "just as easily" with a catering company as it did in this instance.

LondonLisa · July 2018

Jen4948 said:

6fsn said:

To be fair this could happen with a catering company just as easily.

I agree that it could happen with a catering company, but unless it's a really bad one, its staff have been professionally trained in proper storage, cooking, and service of food and beverages to prevent this from happening. Plus, don't caterers have to be licensed? So I don't think it would happen "just as easily" with a catering company as it did in this instance.

Caterers are also insured and regulated by the health inspector. So there is recourse by the victims if this happens. Also, you do this once, you end your livelihood, so there is an incentive to be really strict about this.

ei34 · July 2018

My stomach turned reading this.

I know we’ve had lots of potluck discussions here...although when I’m hosting people in my home I would never dream of asking guests to bring things, I don’t mind being asked when I’m on the guest side. My hesitation with potlucks is exactly this article- how do I know the food has been safely handled, prepared and cooked?

Ditto Jen that for a special event like a wedding (or any event with a large number of guests like in this article), just have the event catered by professionals. If your budget allows for a sheetcake or two from Costco and bottled beverages then there’s your spread.

MesmrEwe · July 2018

6fsn said:

To be fair this could happen with a catering company just as easily.

To add to what Jen said - you also can sue the pants off that same catering company such that they'll go bankrupt and out of business if they do something that careless and in some states it's punishable by other laws because they are required to follow procedure.

6fsn · July 2018

Sure, you can sue them or they can lose there license, but do you really think someone who doesn’t wash after using a bathroom is going to change their tune after a class? You would have recourse after the fact, but I stand by this could have happened just as easily with pros.

lovesclimbing · July 2018

Haha, I'm going to a potluck tomorrow night. We do potlucks all the time. Like at least once a month, and currently it's up to once a week. Articles like this don't scare me. Wash your hands, folks. And yea, anyone could not wash their hands.

Sure you can sue a caterer, but ... that doesn't decrease your risk of the next caterer doing it as well. And it doesn't make everything right in terms of you still got sick.

NBSquared2017 · July 2018

Ugh. I just can’t.

Honestly, I never eat food that’s not pre-packaged when it comes to events @ work or if I don’t know the person well.

My standard of cleanliness may not be the same as someone else, so I rather not take a chance.

ahoywedding · July 2018

eileenrob said:

My stomach turned reading this.

I know we’ve had lots of potluck discussions here...although when I’m hosting people in my home I would never dream of asking guests to bring things, I don’t mind being asked when I’m on the guest side. My hesitation with potlucks is exactly this article- how do I know the food has been safely handled, prepared and cooked?

Ditto Jen that for a special event like a wedding (or any event with a large number of guests like in this article), just have the event catered by professionals. If your budget allows for a sheetcake or two from Costco and bottled beverages then there’s your spread.

This is me, too! When we host, I make sure everything is covered and if someone asks what they can bring I pretty much just say if there's something special they'd like to eat or drink go ahead and bring it but otherwise don't worry. Our group of friends does occasionally plan potluck events, and I have no problem with that it everyone is aware from the get-go. It's also a little different with a small group vs. a wedding-size event.

climbingsingle · July 2018

NBSquared2017 said:

Ugh. I just can’t.

Honestly, I never eat food that’s not prepackaged when it comes to events @ work or if I don’t know the person well.
My standard of cleanliness may not be the same as someone else, so I rather not take a chance.

Ditto. I once went to eat a coworker's dish at an event, and I found a very large clump of dog hair. If that was able to make it into her dish without her noticing, I don't even want to know what her kitchen looks like.

And I have dogs and grew up with cats. I know about animal fur.

NBSquared2017 · July 2018

climbingwife said:

NBSquared2017 said:

Ugh. I just can’t.

Honestly, I never eat food that’s not prepackaged when it comes to events @ work or if I don’t know the person well.
My standard of cleanliness may not be the same as someone else, so I rather not take a chance.

Ditto. I once went to eat a coworker's dish at an event, and I found a very large clump of dog hair. If that was able to make it into her dish without her noticing, I don't even want to know what her kitchen looks like.

And I have dogs and grew up with cats. I know about animal fur.

100% this. I worked with a very nice lady that used to bring in pumpkin rolls around the holidays. One day she casually mentioned how she often had a hard time keeping her cats off the kitchen counter when she was cooking because they loved the cream cheese so much.

Nope. nope nope.

ahoywedding · July 2018

NBSquared2017 said:

climbingwife said:

NBSquared2017 said:

Ugh. I just can’t.

Honestly, I never eat food that’s not prepackaged when it comes to events @ work or if I don’t know the person well.
My standard of cleanliness may not be the same as someone else, so I rather not take a chance.

Ditto. I once went to eat a coworker's dish at an event, and I found a very large clump of dog hair. If that was able to make it into her dish without her noticing, I don't even want to know what her kitchen looks like.

And I have dogs and grew up with cats. I know about animal fur.

100% this. I worked with a very nice lady that used to bring in pumpkin rolls around the holidays. One day she casually mentioned how she often had a hard time keeping her cats off the kitchen counter when she was cooking because they loved the cream cheese so much.

Nope. nope nope.

OMG we were at an (ex) friend's house for dinner one night and she pulled a cat toy out of the silverware drawer! H and I noped it out of there so fast and made it a rule to never eat at their house again.

ShesSoCold · July 2018

I have to admit that when I'm cooking for just H and I, I would be flagged by the health department.

However, when I cook for other people? I'm super cautious. I would be mortified if someone pulled a hair out of my food at a potluck or something. I don't even like when the dog walks passed the kitchen, let alone letting her anywhere near any food. I go through nearly every spoon we have tasting shit (when I'd normally just use the same one).

I'm also cautious about eating other people's food. If I don't think you're super clean, I'm not eating your food.

ETA - We don't even eat at H's dad's house. The first time I saw them use their three season room as a fridge (and the salad dressing that expired the year I graduated high school), I suddenly started coincidentally having "brunch with friends" every time they invite us over so I don't have to eat.

holyguacamole79 · July 2018

My parents run a B&B, so they've gone through the health inspections and everything. It's a running joke that they're super careful and mindful with guest food, but it's nbd with family.

We had close friends over yesterday for a BBQ. When we invited them, their reply was, "we'll bring margaritas and beans." It wasn't a "can we bring anything", but we're very close and it wasn't really even a discussion.

levioosa · July 2018

I refuse to eat homemade food from FI’s Mom. I’ve never met someone with such unsanitary cooking conditions.

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