let’s get dirty

There’s no right way to say this, so I’m going to say it the wrong way: to stay healthy we must stay dirty. Now, that didn’t sound good, did it? Put it this way: If we all lived in sealed apartments where only the purest air was pumped in and all traces of bacteria were removed from our food, we probably wouldn’t last very long when we went outside.

We all need some germs and a little bit of dirt to give us the stamina we need to fight off the most serious germs when they appear. This is an irony of life, isn’t it? We need some of the “bad” to have the “good.”

And the same goes for germs. Washing regularly is certainly a good thing, but washing 5 times a day might be going too far. However, washing your hands 5 times a day (or more) is very important when preparing food, especially when preparing it for others. While it’s surely okay to have some germs around to maintain our immunity, it’s not acceptable to knowingly pass germs on to others, especially if you work in a food factory or public kitchen. In these places it is not only desirable to prevent the entry of germs, it is a duty.

When an environmental health inspector visits these locations, he or she will expect to see handwashing facilities and adequate measures to control pests, especially flies. Now, if you knew what flies do and some of the vile places they visit, you surely wouldn’t be happy if one were found in the factory that produces your favorite pizza.

Most food production facilities and public kitchens will have a fly swatter. There are two types: the cheap and unsightly ones that are put there in a futile attempt to comply with sanitary regulations, and the solidly built machines that are designed to safely and effectively remove flies. Insect-o-Cutor is the most respected name in the industry and health inspectors know it. Arkay Hygiene exclusively sells Insect-o-Cutor (or “Insectocutors”) fly swatters on their website at eeeee.co.uk.

So maybe it’s just a matter of getting the balance right – some germs are okay, but food factories and public kitchens without Insectocutors – no way!