Lunching at desk can spell trouble
You’ve been working away at your desk all morning, and now it’s time to refuel with lunch. If you are like many Americans, you’ll be eating your lunch at your work space. Of 2,191 full-time employees surveyed in 2011, 83 percent reported eating meals and snacks at their desk. The random survey was conducted online by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and Conagra Foods. About 62 percent of workers reported eating lunch at their desks, giving the reason that it saved them time and money.
That’s a good thing, but let’s consider some food safety pitfalls of desktop dining. Lack of cleanliness is a main concern. In this recent survey, only 50 percent of respondents reported always washing their hands before eating lunch at work.
About 64 percent of workers reported cleaning their desktop area once a month or less frequently. Men avoided cleaning the most: About 45 percent reported rarely or never cleaning their work space.
Many people (52 percent) bring lunch from home to eat at their desk, and this can lead to other pitfalls. Food left sitting out offers optimal conditions for bacterial growth — as in a food source for the microbes, moderate temperatures and moisture. Nearly half (49 percent) of the workers admitted to leaving their lunch out of the refrigerator, cooler or freezer for three hours before eating.
And now ... the break room
Let’s dig a little deeper for dirt and consider the staff break room. This brings up the infamous refrigerator. About 97 percent of the workplaces surveyed had refrigerators for staff members to store food.
That’s a good start, but 40 percent of respondents couldn’t say when, if ever the refrigerator was cleaned. Wiping refrigerator surfaces to remove spills can reduce bacteria. Keeping food chilled at below 40°F keeps the bacteria at bay as well. But when was the last time you spotted a thermometer placed in a staff refrigerator to monitor the temperatures? And, what about those leftovers that take up residence in the staff refrigerator?
Considering that most perishable foods have a shelf-life of three to five days, many office refrigerators could be harboring millions of unwelcome guests.
... the microwave
Let’s move on to the office microwave oven. How long have those spills been crusting up on the sides of the microwave? About 53 percent of the survey respondents reported that their office microwave was cleaned once per month or less.
Consider now that you’ve made it through
Editor’s note: If you have topics you’d like addressed, email questions to fit@abqjournal.com.
one more lunch at your desk. It’s time to rinse out your food containers. Whoa! When was that sponge in the sink last replaced? It’s possible you are just moving the germs around with that damp, rank sponge.
Not convinced that desktop dining can make you sick? Think picking up a foodborne illness is an oddity? Guess again.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 6 (or 48 million) people get sick each year from contaminated food, with 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually. It could be that the “touch of flu” that’s been making the rounds is more like germ warfare resulting from meals eaten in the office.
What you can do
Don’t let desktop dining get you down! Practice these tips from AND and Conagra Foods:
Wash hands before and after digging into your desktop dish. If you can’t get to a restroom to wash hands with soap and water, keep moist towelettes or an antibacterial hand cleaner at your desk.
From the time you make your lunch at home — assuming it contains perishable food items — don’t let more than two hours pass before you put it in the refrigerator. Also, don’t let lunchtime leftovers remain unrefrigerated for more than two hours.
Keep perishable foods properly refrigerated below 40°F.
If you carry your lunch in a reusable tote or insulated bag, don’t forget to wash it frequently.
Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or microwave, not on the countertop.
If you bring leftovers for lunch, re-heat them to the proper temperature of 165°F.
Don’t forget that the same food safety tips apply to carry-out and fast food, which also can be susceptible to bacteria if not handled properly.
For more information, visit: http://homefoodsafety. org/desktop.