[Vision2020] The Dertriot News: Dirty Dining

[David M. Budge]

Maybe we ought to pass a law...

db

Art Deco wrote:

> 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 
> <mailto: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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