Frat Fish Thawing

[Wart]

Some of you have read the Spaghetti Sauce Thread. Heres the fish thaw issue.

So I go into the Lodge and find the fish thawing. Between 10am and noon the fish for deep frying are removed from the freezer and placed on pans and covered with plastic wrap. The pans are then placed in a rack and left in the kitchen.

This is where the fish stay till the 5PM fry. The fry lasts till 7PM. Note the 'old fish' sign. This is the previous weeks left over fish which were placed in a tub between wax paper and refrozen then placed back on the rack to rethaw along with the new fish.

This is how they thaw the fish to be baked:

In stead of being placed on the rack the frozen fish are placed in a pan, covered with plastic and allowed to 'thaw' till 4pm at which time they are prepared.

The health inspector caught them thawing fish this way and told them to thaw the fish in the walk in cooler. This was tried once by placing the still boxed fish in the walk in on a Thursday. The fish didn't thaw in time so they went right back to placing it on a rack in the kitchen Friday morning.

Their reasoning is cooking kills the bacteria.

I could tell you how one officer made a breading of hot spices then, after sifting out the chunks, wrapped up the left over breading and put it in the cooler for use the next week. It got tossed.

I'm not kidding about the old fish, they don't see anything really wrong with thawing it in a room at moderate temperature, refreezing it, and rethawing it the next week.

 

[GB]

 

[Wart]

C'Mon, GB,

Don't be shy!

Tell us what you really think!!!

I'm laughing but it's really pretty sad.

 

[jennyema]

Just YIKES.

Despite the glaring food safety issues presented here, I cannot fathom what frozen processed fish, thawed, then refrozen, then thawed, labeled "old," then (probably reeking of ammonia) fried would taste like or what the disintegrating texture would actually be like.

People really eat this (excuse me) crap without complaint?

I do have to say that the "OLD FISH" sign is hilarious, given the situation.

You should call the health department immediately and have something done about this. It's unconscionable.

 

[kitchenelf]

I also vote for calling the health department. What's going to happen is a bunch of people are going to end up in the ER and then there will be some 'splainin to DO!!!!!! That is NOT ok!!!!! And the reason their fish didn't thaw is because they left it in a big frozen chunk - what a bunch of morons!

Yep, you need to call the Health Department for sure. It's just not safe.

 

[stassie]

That is pretty shoddy. I'll add another vote for dobbing them in. It sounds like you've done your best to get them to fix it... if they're not going to change as a result of your best efforts, you need to take it up a level.

I know it must be hard for you, being very involved with the place. I honestly think it's the best thing to do, though. It's just a disaster waiting to happen otherwise.

 

[Wart]

To present a slightly more fair and honest representation of the situation, the kitchen isn't in use till the fry. It's about 65 degrees or so till the ovens and friers are turned on around 4pm or so.

OTOH, there are roof leaks. There is a running joke about black mold that's not actually a joke.

 

[expatgirl]

I always had heard that it was a no-no to refreeze fish........so I don't understand how this "method of madness" could not but affect the flavor and texture even if deep-fried not to mention incubating harmful bacteria

 

[Katie H]

That's just too scary. I used to like to go to community fish fries, but I have a different attitude toward them now.

Health department definitely needs to know. Immediately, if not sooner.

 

[fireweaver]

add me to the chorus of dittos - if they're not going to stop doing horrible things after a rational talking to, turning them in to the health dept will prevent some poor people from getting horribly ill.

cooking at high temperatures does indeed kill routine bacteria...IF the WHOLE piece (including the core, not touching the frying grease!) gets to kill temperatures. but it DOESN'T kill off the spore-forming bacteria (like all the clostridium organisms), and it doesn't do anything about all the toxins (the bacterial waste products) that are now present in the room-temperature food.

just...ewwww...

 

[AllenOK]

Oh, they'd hate me. I wouldn't have any qualms about calling the Health Department, and the local media, AFTER I handed in my resignation.

One question: How often does the fryer oil get changed? Is fish the only thing they fry in it? Are we talking commercial deep fryers, or counter-top home models?

 

[mozart]

Time to act!

Not trying to make you the bad guy here Wart, but back at the beginning of the sauce post I commented:

"I suggest you go to your boss ( that may be a person or a Lodge board) and explain what you have seen and the liability that the lodge is taking on by allowing these practices.

If there is a major food poisoning there, people will remember the name of the lodge, not the group who was using the facility. In addition, Lawyers will look to both the group and the lodge for damage recovery and the Health Department will hold the lodge responsible too, as they are the ones with the licensed kitchen.

All in all, this argument should convince your superiors to modify their oversight of their kitchen facilities.

If it doesn't, then you have a decision to make. Anxiety attacks are a message. You are going to feel really bad if something happens and you don't take some action. If you don't get support from your employer, call the Health Department."

You indicated then that you had tried to reason with your employer to no avail. That left calling the health department.

Yet you avoided responding directly to that suggestion then or in any of the subsequent 10 or so similar recommendations from others.

It you hold a food handlers permit (required to be the head cook in most jurisdictions) you have an OBLIGATION to contact health authorities, and not just a moral one. In many jurisdictions, your knowledge of these activities without taking action could jeopardize your ability to work in the food service industry in the future and possibly open you up to legal action in the event of a major food poisoning.

Instead of preaching to the choir here, maybe you need to resolve this problem now?

 

[TATTRAT]

dude, for real, this kinds thing NEEDS to be fixed....

i would not be there, bottom line, I would NOT want my name associated with any potential risks that are inevitable...

 

[TATTRAT]

at what price do you compromise your own ethics and KNOWN safety?

 

[GrillingFool]

Here is an idea... it won't make you very popular...

Sic the media on them! Our local TV station does health rating reviews,
and also "consumer reports".

They might LOVE a story about how this is a disaster waiting to happen....

 

[Dave Hutchins]

As I have said in the past get out of dodge immediately....Then document what has been going on and go in person to the health department and present your evidence, go to the local press, TV station and do the same.. As some one else made mention you could wind up on the short end of the stick in court or involved in a huge law suit. Which you do not want!!!!!!!. Notify Management of whats going on and the potential for law suits
All in All PROTECT YOUR BACK SIDES AT ALL COST. Take pictures document then strike
shoot your best shot and get a horrible situation corrected immediately

 

[ChefJune]

To present a slightly more fair and honest representation of the situation, the kitchen isn't in use till the fry. It's about 65 degrees or so till the ovens and friers are turned on around 4pm or so.

OTOH, there are roof leaks. There is a running joke about black mold that's not actually a joke.

do you think that makes it okay? or safe to eat that fish? If I knew where you were located, I would call someone! Don't wait until someone dies or gets dangerously sick! This is no laughing matter.

Food poisoning from tainted fish can kill, and at best is extremely painful. I know from experience.

 

[expatgirl]

ah, if only Marvin Zindler were alive and living where you did--------he was a beloved icon in the Houston community and was instrumental in getting restaurants to come up to code and closing down the infamous "Chicken Ranch" (a ladies of the night establishment)........he was on the 5 o'clock news.....he also addressed and righted a lot of wrongs..........a lot of elderly and people whose health is compromised in one way or another shouldn't be "fried" for no good reason

 

[mozart]

FWIW, I don't think going to the media is a good choice at this point. It may cause the Lodge great harm and lost respect in the community, and that is not your goal.

Had you called the Health Department and requested that someone come out immediately at the time you took the pictures, they would have likely required that the fish be thrown out. That ends that night's fish fry and is a powerful incentive to follow proper procedures; lost revenue and embarrassment. They will also likely explain to the license holder that they are responsible for their "guest cook's" practices and possibly require an improvement plan from the Lodge.

In most cases, this is all that will be necessary.

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm with mozart here. Your intent is to stop unsafe food handling. If you do that with dignity then dignity you will have. But if you don't do anything what you will be is associated with a kitchen that operated under unsafe food handling practices and nothing you do AFTER the fact will change that. YOU are just as guilty as the people who let the fish thaw that way.