Posted By Robert Black
I've just started at a factory with an office block attached. The women in the office have a tradition of bringing in cakes for all on their birthday. These include fresh cream cakes which are left out at room temperature.
Stopping this practice will not go down well but obviously, if we could be liable for food poisoning traced back to employee provided food (with tacit management approval/non-objection) could we be held liable?
There is insufficent 'fridge storage for the number of cakes brought in.
Thanks.
Robert.

Posted By Roger the Dodger
Don't think your company would be liable - although I've not had much to do with food safety, I believe before food hygiene regs kick in etc, you actually have to be selling food as part of your commercial activitiy.


That is not to say it wouldn't be obvious/basic food hygiene to store the cakes properly priot to eating them.

May I suggest that you keep them in YOUR stomach - after all they will need a quality assurance check/sample as soon as they are in the office.

Posted By DavidHaddon
This is clearly taking Health and Safety to a ridiculous level. That anyone should think of banning their colleagues from bringing in cream cakes amazes me.

Surely a few appropriately targeted comments around the ladies in the office will prevent many of them "partaking".

Not only will this significantly reduce the level of exposure, but will also free up valuable "resources" for others to indulge!

Posted By Danny Swygart
I work at a heavy industrial site with major machinery and traffic hazards.

The only major injury we have had at the site in 10 years was when one of the ladies in the office fell down the stairs carrying a plate of cream cakes and broke her leg.

Be warned!

Cream cakes are more dangerous than you think.

Ban them, ban them all! (sound of manic laughter tailing off as I get dragged away by the men in white coats).

Posted By Bill Bircham
I must say, I though that this was one of the Friday wind up posts early in the week until I checked out Robert’s return email address . . . DuPont.

DuPont have a world wide reputation for excellent safety performance, some believe it, some call it hype, I have no opinion in that respect, but if someone who works (presumably) in safety at DuPont has cream cakes at the top of a list of risks to be mitigated . . . that speaks for itself.

Seriously Richard, are you next going to ban ‘Joe’ from having chicken sandwiches for lunch unless he brings them in a suitable container keeping them at a constant temperature and refuses to share them with his mate who left his on the bus?

This type of issue would make great sport in the press and just empowers the Jeremy Clarkson stereotypical myth around us all.

Regards

Bill

Posted By Zoe Barnett
If you're that worried, why not encourage people to bring in smoothies, fruit and other less problematic treats, under the guise of healthy living initiatives? (Says she, munching her way through a quarter of Double Choclate Ripple Fudge, yum yum...)

Posted By Mark Jacobs
Cream is a high risk food and fresh cream cakes are subject to the Food Safety (temperature control) Regulations 1995 which stipulates that high risk foods should be stored at a temperature below 8 degrees Celsius. They should therefore be stored in the fridge.

Cream being a food which is high in fat will readily pick up taints from elsewhere so you should remove any smelly items such as onions, garlic or tuna from the fridge so they may be enjoyed at their best - possibly a separate fridge. If it is not possible to store them covered in a separate fridge put them above raw foods and date labell them. There is a loophole in the regulations that allows high risk food to be stored at room temperature for a period of up to 4 hours prior to consumption.

What you need to establish from the bakers is that the cakes are made with real cream (artificial cream is not included in the regulations) if they were made that day, and what time the person bought them or took them out of the refrigeratorat home in the morning. You can then work out iwhat time of day they must eat them if a fridge is not available. Should have them in the morning tea break, lunchtime or in the afternoon?.

If they made them themselves they really should have received food hygiene awareness training or ideally hold the foundation certificate in food hygiene.

Also be aware that the cakes should not be exposed to a risk of contamination so they should arrive in a clean container with a close fitting lid.

Staff should not be encouraged to bring in cakes if they are suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea and if they have a cut it should be covered with a blue waterproof plaster.

However you may feel that cream cakes are just too yummy, the benefit outweighs the risk and you should eat them.

Posted By Alan T
Robert

I think this may be classed as 'off on a frolic of there own' and would expect the argument of what was reasonable practicable to come into play.
To make sure though do a quick risk assessment number of past occurrences (none) and possible outcomes most probable being upset stomach (minor), most people can taste off cream so probability is low.
I would say don't worry about it.
If you are still worried put some info on food hygiene around and start a healthy eating awareness campaign.

Alan

Posted By Heather Aston
Robert

What kind of an office do you work in that the cream cakes stay around long enough for it to be an issue? :)