How do you nicely tell someone about food safety?

[thePanMan]

I agree with roadfix, you've got to be a bit lighthearted about it, after all if she and her family don't get sick or any of her guests, she could be very insulted. They must have built up some level of immunity over time, and I guess that if food is cooked thoroughly enough most if not all contamination is eliminated. And bear in mind she may throw it back at you that you are over cautious and how might that make you feel.

[jackattack1]

I'd pull a Gordon Ramsay on their ass and start yanking things from their 50 degree fridge and say things like..."WTF is THIS!?!?!? Oh Bloody HELL.....You're gonna' f#@ki%ng KILL someone!!! Quit acting so stuuuuuuu-pid......Oh....here come the tears.....Bloody Hell!" hahaha

[jackattack1]

Originally Posted by jdthompson

I have a friend who is a great cook but she does not adhere to any food safety practices. For instance, she will use the same fork to stir raw pork and eat out of. She will also use her hands to mix raw marinated chicken then go on to hand toss a salad after just a quick rinse with no soap.

Does anyone have an suggestions on how to nicely tell her that it's dangerous?

Maybe when you go to her house for dinner, ask if you can use her phone and order a pizza for delivery. Maybe she'll get the hint. Haha

[purple.alien.giraffe]

I tend to be blunt when it comes to safety in general. My friends find this out pretty quickly. "Get your shoe out of the fire, I don't care how cold you are I don't want to have to leave camp to take you to the ER. I'm not kidding, get your foot out of the fire or I'll make you." Granted, that guy was drunk, but also I had a friend who never washed her fruits and vegetables before eating them. I'd suggested it nicely numerous times but she always told me they tasted fine. One day when she offered me an unwashed piece of fruit I told her no thanks, I'd rather not eat unwashed produce that might have been peed on by who knows what. She started washing her produce after that. The thing is, I let people know pretty early on in friendship that when it comes to safety I don't mince words, not because I want to be a jerk, but because I care about the person's well being. If I didn't, I'd stay quiet. I haven't lost any friends over it yet. In your situation, when she responded telling you that it was fine, she does it all the time, I'd have responded right then that if she wanted to risk her safety, so long as she's been informed, fine. That's her decision. But I'd have told her I wouldn't be eating at her house anymore. Again, my friends know right from the beginning that I'm blunt about such things, so it works for me.

[Snip 13]

Originally Posted by jdthompson

I have a friend who is a great cook but she does not adhere to any food safety practices. For instance, she will use the same fork to stir raw pork and eat out of. She will also use her hands to mix raw marinated chicken then go on to hand toss a salad after just a quick rinse with no soap.

Does anyone have an suggestions on how to nicely tell her that it's dangerous?

I would tell her that I read an article or watched a program about food safety and I was amazed how much I was doing wrong etc. and then tell her all about food safety and she'll think your just sharing some information and hopefully get the hint without anyone's feelings getting hurt :)

[Fabiabi]

Indeed a tricky one. If I were in your position i'd be a total coward and just eat the food prepared by her and hope to live to see tomorrow and then try to avoid any more dinner invitations. However that's probably not the right thing to do, I would be brave and take the advice of the other forum members, be forthright.
Really your friend should be taking health and safety issues seriously when cooking for others.

[babetoo]

Originally Posted by jackattack1

Maybe when you go to her house for dinner, ask if you can use her phone and order a pizza for delivery. Maybe she'll get the hint. Haha

if you knew what some of those kids do in the sauce, you wouldn't eat the pizza. i know first hand from guys that worked at pizza parlors as teens.

[Fabiabi]

Originally Posted by babetoo

if you knew what some of those kids do in the sauce, you wouldn't eat the pizza. i know first hand from guys that worked at pizza parlors as teens.

Good point, in which case jdthompson, your friends food might not be so bad after all!