SIGNS OF A BAD EATERY I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW

Eating out is becoming a norm and we all prefer nice cozy restaurants or eateries where we can hang out and have a nice time. I am sure 95% of dates are done inside the eateries and restaurants and in the process, we order foods for ourselves and our partners and that’s where I have my concerns about safety. You definitely do not know what is happening behind the scene in the kitchen; you do not see how the cooking is done, if the hygiene is good, if the workers are fit to handle food or if the ingredients they use for cooking are good.

My experience in the food industry has however taught me that you can know the status of any eatery from the lobby if only you are observant and know what you’re looking for. Let me briefly state some 7 things to look out for in eateries.

1.        When you’re at the lobby to order your food, watch out for tiny fruit flies in that area, if for any reason you see any small fruit fly around the serving area, there is definitely something wrong. Fruit flies are a good example to indicate rotten or stale food materials and their presence around any food area shows that hygiene must have been compromised at one point or the other.
2.      Watch out for cleaning equipment around the serving area. Many eateries do not have specific cleaner, the same personnel serving the food will also be responsible to sweep and mop the floor inside the serving area and then continue with serving. I was around the North Central part of Nigeria recently and I was going to by some food. I met a lady mopping the floor of the serving area and immediately I approached the lobby, she wanted to serve me, I politely declined and left. If they don’t pay attention to hygiene at the lobby, don’t even imagine the kitchen.
3.        Equipment arrangement in the lobby can give you an idea of the hygiene of any food service centre. If the equipments are arranged in a cluster or without space for proper cleaning, that’s not where you should buy your food. If the area cannot be cleaned properly, there is a possibility of food droppings and other waste materials hiding in those places and as such attract rodents and other creeping animals that you don’t want around your food. They can also cause molds and other microbes to grow around that area which will subsequently contaminate your food.
4.        Check out who is serving you! The idea of beautiful ladies serving I the lobby with heavy makeup makes us forget what a food vendor should look like. First, you want to see if they put on a plaster or bandage, they may be nursing a wound and you shouldn’t be served by them. If the person serving you seems to sneeze more than once or you observe there’s a running nose or red eyes, pick race! It is very possible you are being served by someone who can pass a disease to you. If for any reason you notice the person serving you is a nursing mother, please politely decline the offer.
5.        Look out for crevices, holes and dirt. Just check around the lobby, if you notice any hole around or notice used tooth picks in crevices and holes, trust that the kitchen is worse! Watch out for dusty surfaces and possible insect remains or rat faeces, they are there if you observe closely.
6.        Don’t let them serve you cold food! Not about microwave, food that should be served should never go cold at any stage! There must be constant heat and food should never go below being warm at least. So if you notice the food was cold and they just want to warm with microwave, leave it for them. The reason for this is simple, if by any means microbes have acted on the food and released toxins while it was cold, heating with microwave may not be enough to take out the toxin and you may end up being food poisoned.
7.        Finally, observe the insect killing bulbs in their lobby and confirm they are working. The bulbs are there to make sure insects do not come in and affect the food serving and eating process. If the ones in the lobby are not working, there is high probability the ones in the kitchen don’t even exist.

You should be safe while visiting any food house, service centre or restaurant. However, if for any reason you have a doubt about food being unsafe, don’t eat it. Wish you a happy new month.