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Maybe we ought to pass a law...<br>
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db<br>
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Art Deco wrote:<br>
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<div><font size="6"><strong>Dirty Dining</strong></font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4"><strong><font size="5">Desktop dining can mean
germs are the main course<!--/head--></font></strong>
<p class="deck"><!--deck-->Multitasking over lunch at the office
leaves workplaces covered in viruses.<!--/deck--></p>
<STORYTEXT></STORYTEXT>
<p class="byline"><!--byline-->By Karen Dybis / The Detroit News</p>
</font></div>
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<p>Kate Vinande calls it the "office feeding frenzy." </p>
<p>It starts when a meeting ends and leftover bagels and sandwiches
are brought out for general consumption. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>But an unhealthy downside has emerged in desktop dining. It's
unsanitary enough to make you lose your lunch -- <font color="#ff0000"
size="5">desks often have 400 times more germs than a toilet seat</font>;
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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>While sharing food in the office helps bring fellow employees
together, it can serve up a helping of social heartburn, too. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p class="bodyhead">Fighting over food</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>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." </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"If you're not good enough, you're gone," said Sullivan, who
shreds a restaurant's menu based on a group vote. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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." </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"A lot of times, it ends up as scrambled eggs with a lot of stuff
in them," said office manager Claudia O'Higgins. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"You can't have 24 different types of ice cream, so we have people
put in requests," said association executive vice president Jennifer
Kluge. </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="bodyhead"><strong>Spoiled employees</strong></p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>The next week, the staff agreed to save him one. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p class="bodyhead"><strong>Ancient leftovers</strong></p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>But the cupcakes were another story -- they turned everyone's
mouths and tongues green all day, said marketing manager Dann McDonald.
</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>Ancient leftovers and soggy brown bags are the bane of many office
refrigerators. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"Food like a deli tray should not sit out more than two hours.
Past that, you're getting into the danger zone," Barton said. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>Also, avoid candies that aren't individually wrapped, especially
in jars that people have to reach into with grubby hands. </p>
<p>"Coffeepots are the worst. Most offices don't wash them. They just
rinse them out," which allows germs to grow, Barton said. </p>
<p>"I've seen people reheat coffee from the day before and drink it.
It's not good." </p>
<p><i>You can reach Karen Dybis at (313) 222-2319 or <a
href="mailto:kdybis@detnews.com">kdybis@detnews.com</a>.</i></p>
<p><em></em> </p>
<p><span class="sans"> </span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p class="sidebarhead"><font size="5"><strong>Safe desktop dining</strong></font>
</p>
<p>• <b>Wash your hands:</b> 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.</p>
<p>• <b>Toss those leftovers</b><b>:</b> The average office
refrigerator is cleaned only once every six weeks. Experts recommend
leftovers should be disposed of within three to five days.</p>
<p>• <b>Watch the clock</b><b>:</b> 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.</p>
<p>• <b>Limit lunchtime lingering</b><b>:</b> Refrigerate leftovers
promptly. Don't leave them at your desk all day where they may develop
harmful bacteria.</p>
<p>• <b>Review the refrigerator</b><b>:</b> Check to make sure your
office fridge is set colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Any higher, and
food safety is jeopardized.</p>
<p>• <b>Check your sources</b><b>:</b> 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.</p>
<p><i>Sources: American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods
Foundation</i> <br clear="all">
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