Haboob food store question (Casa Grande: buy, living, codes)

[jimj]

The one thing we keep thinking about since last nights storm and others we've been in now is all the food stores and the fresh meat,seafood,cheese,bread,deserts etc. The front doors open and close constantly during those Haboobs and one food city that we were in where it was just as bad inside as it was outside, kind of like the airport last night.

Don't know how thrilled I'd be to have all that blowing whatever in my flan,pudding,salads,cakes etc. since you really don't know what other than dust it is.
I'd of figured the grocery stores would have a plan in place to either close down the store or seal off the cases where uncovered food is.

Anyone have any input?

[Stokes172]

A little bit of grit..just call it ruffage.

[observer53]

I don't think they have any plan. These storms like last night's are very rare, they move quickly, and produce has to be washed thoroughly at home, dust storm or not. In my decades of living here, I'd never given this issue any thought.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by observer53

I don't think they have any plan. These storms like last night's are very rare, they move quickly, and produce has to be washed thoroughly at home, dust storm or not. In my decades of living here, I'd never given this issue any thought.

We started wondering about this two years ago when we were in Casa Grande at the Food City I spoke of in the prior post which was also our first encounter with "flying mud".
While a haboob of this magnitude may be rare severe dust/sand storms here are not as evidenced by us being in them every year since we've been here.
I find it interesting no one seems to have thought of this before... I mean think about this, with everything that is dumped onto or blows onto the dirt from waste to pesticides to god knows what and that all gets thrown up in the air and deposited where ever it lands, maybe on the cake you just bought...
Think of it this way, would you eat a piece of cake or bowl of pudding,potato salad etc that you dropped on the ground in the middle of a feed lot or waste treatment plant? Well you'd think the haboob isn't picky about what materiel it picks up...

[locolobo13]

Originally Posted by jimj

We started wondering about this two years ago when we were in Casa Grande at the Food City I spoke of in the prior post which was also our first encounter with "flying mud".
While a haboob of this magnitude may be rare severe dust/sand storms here are not as evidenced by us being in them every year since we've been here.
I find it interesting no one seems to have thought of this before... I mean think about this, with everything that is dumped onto or blows onto the dirt from waste to pesticides to god knows what and that all gets thrown up in the air and deposited where ever it lands, maybe on the cake you just bought...
Think of it this way, would you eat a piece of cake or bowl of pudding,potato salad etc that you dropped on the ground in the middle of a feed lot or waste treatment plant? Well you'd think the haboob isn't picky about what materiel it picks up...

That's why it's a good idea to rinse your fresh veggies before preparing them. When I worked for a grocery store back in the 70s, they used pesticides to kill mice in the back rooms. Nobody washed the product after, that was the customers job, right or wrong.

Haven't been in Food City in a while. Most stores cover their baked/deli goods. When I do think about it I assume they prepare such goods daily. On the day I see debri in the bread, salad or sandwiches, I point it out to the clerk and don't buy that day. If it looks OK tomorrow maybe.

[mglindo]

In my opinion, too much is being made in this thread about dust in the food from this and other previous Haboobs. Let us use some common sense here. Just don't purchase food that may have been contaminated. Wait a few days after the event if possible. Simple as that! I believe that common sense has been "tossed out the window."

[Pretzelogik]

Originally Posted by stokes172

a little bit of grit..just call it ruffage.

lol

[jimj]

Originally Posted by mglindo

In my opinion, too much is being made in this thread about dust in the food from this and other previous Haboobs. Let us use some common sense here. Just don't purchase food that may have been contaminated. Wait a few days after the event if possible. Simple as that! I believe that common sense has been "tossed out the window."

Nothing is being made of this if you take current food safety requirements into consideration. Being in the food service industry with health codes that get down to the nitty gritty (sorry for the pun ) I'm surprised it's not been addressed by someone.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by jimj

We started wondering about this two years ago when we were in Casa Grande at the Food City I spoke of in the prior post which was also our first encounter with "flying mud".
While a haboob of this magnitude may be rare severe dust/sand storms here are not as evidenced by us being in them every year since we've been here.
I find it interesting no one seems to have thought of this before... I mean think about this, with everything that is dumped onto or blows onto the dirt from waste to pesticides to god knows what and that all gets thrown up in the air and deposited where ever it lands, maybe on the cake you just bought...
Think of it this way, would you eat a piece of cake or bowl of pudding,potato salad etc that you dropped on the ground in the middle of a feed lot or waste treatment plant? Well you'd think the haboob isn't picky about what materiel it picks up...

Bowls of pudding or potato salad, or cakes, are not sitting out in the front of the store uncovered. Your analogy doesn't work.

Originally Posted by locolobo13

That's why it's a good idea to rinse your fresh veggies before preparing them. When I worked for a grocery store back in the 70s, they used pesticides to kill mice in the back rooms. Nobody washed the product after, that was the customers job, right or wrong.

Haven't been in Food City in a while. Most stores cover their baked/deli goods. When I do think about it I assume they prepare such goods daily. On the day I see debri in the bread, salad or sandwiches, I point it out to the clerk and don't buy that day. If it looks OK tomorrow maybe.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by mglindo

In my opinion, too much is being made in this thread about dust in the food from this and other previous Haboobs. Let us use some common sense here. Just don't purchase food that may have been contaminated. Wait a few days after the event if possible. Simple as that! I believe that common sense has been "tossed out the window."

Agreed.

Originally Posted by jimj

Nothing is being made of this if you take current food safety requirements into consideration. Being in the food service industry with health codes that get down to the nitty gritty (sorry for the pun ) I'm surprised it's not been addressed by someone.

I'm not surprised at all. I really don't think there's an issue. If there is one for you personally, wait a day before you buy anything not in a can or factory sealed package.

[dynimagelv]

It's the DESERT people, the desert has dust...some days worse then others....