Quest Buffet....Health Issues

[chefgarden]

I was so focused on what the butler didn't do, I didn't hone in on what I consider to be dangerous practices in the handling of the buffet food ...

 

Steam tables are kept at a temperature which maintains a "healthy" temperature for the food ... above the danger zones of 80-130 degrees F.

The scrambled eggs were being put on the steam table, obviously directly from the commercial refrigerator ice cold. ... By the time they reached a safe temperature they would be sitting in the danger zones... More alarming was a mixture of potatoe & sausage ...also served luke warm.

On the other hand, the seafood salad was not as chilled as it should have been...it depended where on the chilled dish one took it from....edges were apparently not under enough ice.

 

Maintaining food at safe temperatures is elementary to the Chef ... perhaps the staff was not educated about food safety. It's certainly saving a step to take the pre-prepared items from an ice-cold box, to

a steam table, without lst getting them to a proper temperature that the

steam table then maintains. (assuming the steam table was producing the

proper temperature).

 

I hope Management will read this post, because this is a serious issue.

So many people get sick on ships and blame it on the Norwalk Virus ...

sometimes, it's poor food handling. As a trained chef, I have been trained in safe food handling.

[LuvCeleb]

Speaking of Heath issues. There were no hand sanatizers on board.

[Ms. J.]

Hi, Chefgarden....

 

Thanks for the report - I am most concerned. Did you write to Azamara customer service....you have a good reason to! Many of us are writing to them with our concerns. Jini

[1cruiselvr]

For those that are interested, here's a very interesting NYTimes article on the effectiveness of hand sanitizers. I sure hope those used on cruise ships are 60% alcohol which is required to be effective. Happy Sailing!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/health/21cons.html

[greeneg]

Speaking of Heath issues. There were no hand sanatizers on board.

 

If there were no hand sanitizers on board, then that's because passengers didn't bring them. Savvy passengers carry and use their own sanitizers. I seem to remember years ago that Tom Leher wrote a song called "Be Prepared"; add hand sanitizer to the list........:)

[Playful Mermaid]

I was so focused on what the butler didn't do, I didn't hone in on what I consider to be dangerous practices in the handling of the buffet food ...

 

Steam tables are kept at a temperature which maintains a "healthy" temperature for the food ... above the danger zones of 80-130 degrees F.

The scrambled eggs were being put on the steam table, obviously directly from the commercial refrigerator ice cold. ... By the time they reached a safe temperature they would be sitting in the danger zones... More alarming was a mixture of potatoe & sausage ...also served luke warm.

On the other hand, the seafood salad was not as chilled as it should have been...it depended where on the chilled dish one took it from....edges were apparently not under enough ice.

 

Maintaining food at safe temperatures is elementary to the Chef ... perhaps the staff was not educated about food safety. It's certainly saving a step to take the pre-prepared items from an ice-cold box, to

a steam table, without lst getting them to a proper temperature that the

steam table then maintains. (assuming the steam table was producing the

proper temperature).

 

I hope Management will read this post, because this is a serious issue.

So many people get sick on ships and blame it on the Norwalk Virus ...

sometimes, it's poor food handling. As a trained chef, I have been trained in safe food handling.

 

Thanks for the heads-up on that one. Yes, I also hope management is reading your post.

[NotChoppedLiver]

"I seem to remember years ago that Tom Leher wrote a song called "Be Prepared"; add hand sanitizer to the list........:)"

 

LOL

Those of us who remember Tom Lehrer's lyrics know "Be Prepared" had nothing to do with hand sanitizers. :D

 

Laura

[greeneg]

True, but it wasn't bad advice.......LOL