[Vision2020] The Dertriot News: Dirty Dining

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Dirty Dining

Desktop dining can mean germs are the main course
Multitasking over lunch at the office leaves workplaces covered in viruses.

By Karen Dybis / The Detroit News

Kate Vinande calls it the "office feeding frenzy." 

It starts when a meeting ends and leftover bagels and sandwiches are brought out for general consumption. 

"Word begins to spread. You see people from various departments start to literally run toward the kitchen," said Vinande of Campbell & Co., a public relations company in Dearborn. 

Go into any Metro Detroit workplace and, chances are, you'll find a smorgasbord of candy dishes, doughnuts and deli trays. Food has gained prominence as fewer employees find the time for a leisurely lunch at a restaurant -- more than 60 percent of Americans eat lunch and snack at their desks, according to a survey by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods. 

But an unhealthy downside has emerged in desktop dining. It's unsanitary enough to make you lose your lunch -- desks often have 400 times more germs than a toilet seat; it leads to eating too much too fast; leaves employees to fight over who cleans the neglected refrigerator; and can create cubicle conflicts when co-workers dine on pungent foods. 

Consider this: A University of Arizona study found nearly half of desks, computer mice and telephones it tested were covered with parainfluenza viruses, which can cause bronchitis and pneumonia. And food is the most common contaminant. 

"Most people won't start cleaning their desks until they start sticking to it," said Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona professor of Environmental Microbiology who earned his title of "Dr. Germ" studying what he describes as "grody" workplaces. 

The problem is most people don't practice the same hygiene protocol at work as they have at home, Gerba said. Janitorial staffs have learned to stay away from cubicles, which many people view as their personal space. Plus, workplaces in areas such as Metro Detroit tend to be dirtier because lousy weather and in-house cafeterias prevent people from venturing out to eat. 

While sharing food in the office helps bring fellow employees together, it can serve up a helping of social heartburn, too. 


Fighting over food


Otherwise-rational people can turn into scavengers. Fights over who cleans the moldy refrigerator or the stained microwave can escalate to a war-like status at even the most friendly job sites. Workers who insist on a solo nosh lose out on the chance to bond and network with others. Finally, what you eat can create conflict in the cubicles when pungent favorites like Coney Island sauce are involved, while how you eat it can take a big bite out of your reputation. 

Sometimes, there's just too much food. Every office has suffered from the lingering odor of burnt microwave popcorn or the next cubicle's tuna-fish sandwich. Last week's leftovers created a minefield at University Bank in Ann Arbor, which celebrated its ninth anniversary with a potluck meal. 

"I went to put my lunch in the fridge, but there was no room. I had to use all my engineering skills to move things around to free up enough space," said loan specialist Adnan Mirza. 

Potlucks are banned at Bianchi PR in Troy. "Not everyone is the best cook," explained Rich Donley, a vice president at the public relations company. "You tend to get a variety of things that have been sitting around awhile." 

Bianchi loves its food. It has an ice cream fund, an Excel spreadsheet that lists the staff's favorite birthday cake flavors and a lunch coordinator, who keeps a binder on the area's best take-out restaurants. The company's lunch lady, Tina Sullivan, maintains strict quality control. 

"If you're not good enough, you're gone," said Sullivan, who shreds a restaurant's menu based on a group vote. 

Sharing food can create workplace intimacy, said Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never Eat Alone," a best-selling networking primer. Sitting solo at your desk morosely munching yesterday's sweet-and-sour chicken will doom the average worker to mediocrity, he said. 

While Ferrazzi believes the best conversations happen outside the office, "eating together yields a relationship and an environment where people can feel comfortable with each other," he said. "Some say you can't listen with your mouth open. But you can listen with your mouth full." 

Feeding someone also helps build teamwork, Ferrazzi said. For example, on Saturday mornings during tax season, the partners at accounting firm Plante & Moran in Auburn Hills prepare omelets for the staff. But you have to remember: they're bean counters, not Emeril Lagasse. 

"A lot of times, it ends up as scrambled eggs with a lot of stuff in them," said office manager Claudia O'Higgins. 

For some, the office candy dish has become the new office water cooler. Three out of four workplaces share sweets this way, according to a recent poll sponsored by LifeSavers. Half of workers say they talk business around the dish, while 26 percent share office gossip. 

The survey also found that while 77 percent of those who don't own candy dishes sneak treats from those with dishes, only 21 percent offer to refill it. But 47 percent of owners say they know who is taking the candy, even when they're not in the office. 

Free eats are popular at many Metro Detroit offices. But it also can cause food fights. To avoid confrontations, the Michigan Business and Professional Association office in Warren rotates what treats are stocked in its community freezer. 

"You can't have 24 different types of ice cream, so we have people put in requests," said association executive vice president Jennifer Kluge. 



Spoiled employees


Sugary snacks can spur office productivity. Gordon Advisors PC, an accounting firm in Troy, has a weekly treat day every Wednesday during the busy tax season. Organizer Christine Moore is in charge of choosing the midafternoon snack, which ranges from Starbucks specialty coffees to Dairy Queen Blizzards to Baker's Square pies. 

"Everyone gets so spoiled this time of year," Moore said. Come April 15, Moore added, the staff becomes noticeably cranky when there's less food around. 

Chocolate seems to fuel the staff at Peter Basso Associates Inc. in Troy. One worker is known for eating chocolate pudding using Kit Kat candy bars as a utensil. An engineer is remembered for loading up his plate at Pizza Hut's all-you-can-eat buffet with chocolate pudding, which he scooped up with a fork. Then there was the co-op worker who was caught eating hot chocolate powder right from the can. 

The engineering firm also gave life to "Doughnut Boy." The student earned his tasty title after complaining that no one saved him a doughnut, the consolation prize provided by that week's winner of the office football pool. 

The next week, the staff agreed to save him one. 

Only, they dried it out in the microwave and let it sit out all day until it was good and stale, said Marketing Manager Ginger Greager. Egged on by a company vice president, the good-natured student ate the depressing dessert as the crowd giggled along. 


Ancient leftovers


Food and humiliation go hand in hand at some offices. This St. Patrick's Day, the social and entertainment committee at DeMaria Building Co. in Detroit got raves for its bagels, dyed in the holiday's honor. 

But the cupcakes were another story -- they turned everyone's mouths and tongues green all day, said marketing manager Dann McDonald. 

Fights also emerge over who has to clean up afterward. Bianchi's Sullivan admits the office microwave, toaster and toaster oven are "not cleaned out as often as they should be." The office fridge is swept clean once a month. 

Ancient leftovers and soggy brown bags are the bane of many office refrigerators. 

"We've sent out e-mails that if you don't throw out your junk today, it's getting thrown out," said Cheryl Adams, director of corporate development at Strategic Staffing Solutions, an information technology consulting firm in Detroit. 

Keeping your goodies fresh and keeping any preparation surface clean is key to enjoying office edibles and avoiding illness, cautioned Heather Barton, a registered dietician for EatingCoach.com in Sterling Heights. 

"Food like a deli tray should not sit out more than two hours. Past that, you're getting into the danger zone," Barton said. 

Barton also recommends people keep a lid on their coffee, water bottle and candy dish to avoid airborne germs, usually scattered about by people sneezing. 

Also, avoid candies that aren't individually wrapped, especially in jars that people have to reach into with grubby hands. 

"Coffeepots are the worst. Most offices don't wash them. They just rinse them out," which allows germs to grow, Barton said. 

"I've seen people reheat coffee from the day before and drink it. It's not good." 


You can reach Karen Dybis at (313) 222-2319 or kdybis at detnews.com.



 



Safe desktop dining 


. Wash your hands: Fewer than half of all Americans say they always wash their hands before eating lunch. Always wash your hands before, during and after handling food.

. Toss those leftovers: The average office refrigerator is cleaned only once every six weeks. Experts recommend leftovers should be disposed of within three to five days.

. Watch the clock: Don't let more than two hours pass from the time you make your lunch at home until you put it in the office refrigerator.

. Limit lunchtime lingering: Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Don't leave them at your desk all day where they may develop harmful bacteria.

. Review the refrigerator: Check to make sure your office fridge is set colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Any higher, and food safety is jeopardized.

. Check your sources: If you go to dive into that lunchtime deli tray, find out how long it's been sitting out. Take a pass if it's more than two hours.

Sources: American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods Foundation 

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