A question about danish , paper, and germs...

Nurses General Nursing

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This isn't an earthshaking or vitally important nursing question but I'm curious to know if I'm being a bit overboard in this! Saturday morning I went to the bakery to get my weekend supply of danish and the clerk grabbed each one with a piece of paper, then threw all the papers in the box with the danish! Am I just too goofy for asking her to get all that paper out of the box? All I could think of were creepy-crawly bacteria all over my goodies! The nurse in me kept repeating clean to clean, dirty to dirty, etc! I know it might be standard bakery practice but......... Would love your input! Does this bother anyone else?

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No, not really and only because I know that in some bakeries things much worse happen on a daily basis.

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Nah. I'm pretty laid back with that kind of stuff. Are you a squatter (don't sit on the toilet seat in public) too? :lol2: So long as they didn't spit on it or pick it up off the floor, I'm ok.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
Are you a squatter (don't sit on the toilet seat in public) too? :lol2:

NOTHING chaps my hide like going to use a bathroom stall and the previous user was a squatter that left pee all over the seat!! Geeze, people!! Lay down some paper or make sure to clean up after yourselves!! ARGH!!

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It the paper already touched your danish then sitting in there keeping them company probably wouldn't make much difference.

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If THAT bothered you, you should NEVER eat in a restaurant again. EVER. Former waitress here, and I've seen some things in the kitchen that would probably give you a stroke. LOL.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

You're worried about the sides of the papers that touched the clerk's hand? If the clerk hasn't washed the hands, you have a point!

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Specializes in geriatrics,med/surg,vents.
No, not really and only because I know that in some bakeries things much worse happen on a daily basis.

great,thanks so now I'll be baking all my own cookies,cakes and danish :uhoh3: and after the other comment about restaraunts I'll be cooking all my meals at home too :crying2:

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I wouldn't give a rat's behind if the clerk touched the bakery paper and it ended up in the same little bag as my baked goods. Food is not sterile. Our GI tracts are not sterile.

Our stomachs produce hydrochloric acid, which is so acidic that it will kill most microbes that we have swallowed. Therefore, a little "dirt" won't hurt most of us.

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Specializes in geriatrics,med/surg,vents.

it's not so much the actual germs it's the thought that got to me.YUCH!

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Commuter is absolutely right. Besides, that's what we have immune systems for.

Every day, we're out there touching things that dozens of other people have touched in one way or another. I wouldn't worry about it.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

While I agree that food is not sterile, our GI tracts are not sterile, and HCl can destroy a whole kit and kaboodle of little creepy-crawlies...that doesn't protect us from everything...Let's say the clerk used the bathroom before giving you your donuts...

There is such a thing as food-borne illness...

toileting....no handwashing....doorknob and other-thing touching...no gloving...picking up paper with dirty hand...putting paper in with donuts so touched side touches other donuts...you eat the donut....

Anyway, I don't think it's necessary to get carried away on this, but it sure is worth thinking through!

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