Sanitation at Comps

[Jacked UP BBQ]

The Kcbs worries about our three sink set up, but what about the porta potties all over the place and nowhere to wash your hands. What about all of the people finger farking the food before it goes into the containers. My only real complaint is for the health of the judges, there should be mandatory hand washing sinks all over the place, especially by the poopers. I watched so many people walk out of the bathroom and go right back to putting the parsley in the box that was aboout to have the ribs laid on so the judge can taste. Maybe that's why I suck! I should wipe my arse with my hand and give the ribs a nice glaze. Let's stop worrying about presentation and teach the KCBS some sanitation. I know I am going to get that is up to the organizers, maybe it shouldn't be. They should make that a rule. HAND WASHING SINKS!!!!!!!

[bbqbull]

Great point.
Some porta potty companies have hand santizers installed in them.
But watching a show on CBS This Morning? their on staff doctor said that those alcohol based hand cleaners kill everything on you hands except E-Coli.
That dr. also said thats why E-Coli is being spread around the hospitals to patients.
Good old fashioned hot soapy water is the only way to kill E-Coli.
I was missinformed before watching that segment on tv.

[eagle697]

I thought that was a rule. I mainly cook FBA but i thought i remember the reading before KCBS saying you had to follow all local and state regulations concerning food safety. (Although, that gets ignored about other things like food temp all the time, but thats a different thread for another time) I agree that people should have to wash their hands, we have a water bag or jug with a spigot that someone can turn on so you can wash your hands. People also need to realize that hand sanitizer is not an acceptable substitute for soap and water. My wife is a local health inspector and she reminds me of all this quite frequently. I am glad that she is there at comps, as she forces us to have some semblance of sanitation.

At Smoke on The Water in GA this year, they actually had hand washing stations with soap next to the potty's. I thought that was kind of cool, even though it was only room temp water, better than nothing. That is the only time i have seen that though.

[Forney]

Originally Posted by bbqbull

Great point.
those alcohol based hand cleaners kill everything on you hands except E-Coli.

That's true about E-Coli and hand sanitizers. They also don't kill C-Diff, VRE, and MRSA...

[Tinybud]

I agree a hand washing station should be located wherever there are portapots,,, but for whatever reason if there isn't one,,,, and you are a competitor, you should have a sufficent way to wash your hands at your site before you continue doing anything else. This past weekend we had a camper to use at dover. But normally I have a 3 burner camp chef setup with 6inch deep pans we use for a wash station so we have hot water to use. Its just a habit for me,, use the restroom,, wash the hands.

[Sledneck]

cooks should be wearing gloves when handling turn in meats

[Smokin' Gnome BBQ]

Originally Posted by Tinybud

I agree a hand washing station should be located wherever there are portapots,,, but for whatever reason if there isn't one,,,, and you are a competitor, you should have a sufficent way to wash your hands at your site before you continue doing anything else. This past weekend we had a camper to use at dover. But normally I have a 3 burner camp chef setup with 6inch deep pans we use for a wash station so we have hot water to use. Its just a habit for me,, use the restroom,, wash the hands.

I always have a way to wash my hands in camp, so I agree that you/we as a competitor need to make sure we have facilities. not only do I wash my hands but I wear gloves ( almost a box of 100 per comp). I actually eat some of what I turn in.

[Ford]

How about always using gloves when handling food. Raw or cooked it doesn't matter. When you open the cryovac gloves are on, when you put the meat in the box gloves are on.

I do agree that organizers should be asked to provide hand wash stations at the Porta Potty's but it is the responsibility of the team to use common sense and washing hands after using the bathroom is a must. But teams should plan for this.

And if you think you saw bad, try the Royal at 3-5 am when people stagger out of their RV scratching their ***** and then go right to the pit and reach in and push stuff around. Or stagger out, light cigarette, scratch and then open the pit and lean over with the ashes falling. And it's not jsut the Royal but at every contest.

People ask me why I don't go to more contests just to judge.

[BBQchef33]

Originally Posted by Sledneck

cooks should be wearing gloves when handling turn in meats

exactly...

I wont touch ANYTHING thats someones gonna eat without gloves on. Even recreational food.


I thought handwash stations were the law when u rent porta potties. Most of The contests I was at this year had handwash stations next to the porta-pottys... we have 4 set up for sayville, one in each corner and next to the PP's.

[BBQ Grail]

Look it's a BBQ competition,isn't it?

If something should go wrong it's the judges fault.

[bbqbull]

Originally Posted by BBQchef33

exactly...

I wont touch ANYTHING thats someones gonna eat without gloves on. Even recreational food.


I thought handwash stations were the law when u rent porta potties. Most of The contests I was at this year had handwash stations next to the porta-pottys... we have 4 set up for sayville, one in each corner and next to the PP's.

We go though a box and a half of gloves at a comp, maybe 2 boxes, for a team of 2 guys.
Can you rent those hand washing stations?
Trying to help organize a comp and this info is vital for our sucess.

[The Pigman]

Originally Posted by bbqbull

We go though a box and a half of gloves at a comp, maybe 2 boxes, for a team of 2 guys.
Can you rent those hand washing stations?
Trying to help organize a comp and this info is vital for our sucess.

All port a potty companys have the wash stations which set up next to the pottys. You pay more but it is nice to have. I agree With the gloves i go thru alot of gloves at a comp. and i am one the dont touch 2 items with same glove.

[Ford]

Originally Posted by bbqbull

We go though a box and a half of gloves at a comp, maybe 2 boxes, for a team of 2 guys.
Can you rent those hand washing stations?
Trying to help organize a comp and this info is vital for our sucess.

You sure can just call the local guy and ask. And you also have the building that hopefully we can use. When you get around to calling some of us volunteer helpers to a meeting we can give you all kinds of tips on stuff like this. I pulled a bunch of info together for the guys in Cedar Springs when they thought they were going to try to do one this year.

[Big Tom]

Originally Posted by Ford

How about always using gloves when handling food. Raw or cooked it doesn't matter. When you open the cryovac gloves are on, when you put the meat in the box gloves are on.

Hopefully not the same pair of gloves

[Rub]

From what I see, it seems the regular teams probably have better sanitation and food handling practices than many restaurants. Gloves are a requirement in the FBA. It's usually the one-or-two-times-a-year teams that I see doing the stuff that makes you gag. Of course there are always exceptions. But those porta-potty wash stations should be mandatory (I think they cost about the same as a pp), and then the person should re-wash with real soap when they get back to their site.