Hazmat in the kitchen

[tom]

Today I ordered something to eat and when they served it in a styrofoam container the container melted right through leaving a hole in the bottom.

From what little i know heated, burned or melted styrofoam is carcinogenic.

I was thinking about all of the items around a kitchen that are carcinogenic.

For instance I have often seen people cleaning serving areas while open food is still there .... like they have French fries or soup or something open and are spraying windex all around cleaning the metal around the food. Clearly some windex is getting sprayed on the food while they are doing this.

Burnt styrofoam, burnt plasitcs ... I saw one lady dangling the plastic bag for french fries into the boiling oil melting the plastic as she went.

I dont think these people are doing this maliciously but I really feel that there is no training for people working in a kitchen. When they are hiring someone to clean a kitchen, wash dishes, cut up some food or whatever ... there is no training about the items in the kitchen that can be carcinogenic or even poinsonous.

Storing food near chemical is also quesitonable ...
Near me there is also a dry cleaner right next to a pizza place in the same strip mall. I know the drycleaning stuff is extremely hazmat and I cant imagine that none of it gets into the food next door.

Am I paranoid?

[mugaliens]

Am I paranoid?

Not especially. Cross-contamination is indeed a big problem, and as you stated, it's usually not intentional, but merely the result of ignorance arising from improper or inadequate training.

Organic farming, for example, requires a certain "buffer zone" around which the farmer may not use any chemicals, as a way to ensure that food labeled as "organic" is free from overspray or runnoff.

Back to the kitchen... Yes, it can be a problem. It's probably not a problem with Windex, as most solutions contain just ammonia or vinegar, and your body contains the former and tolerates the latter. I wouldn't drink it, though.

As for other cleaners, solvents, and especially pesticides, yes, those can be a huge problem in kitchens. They're addressed by most health codes, but I guarantee you (from having working as a cook) they're often skirted or ignored.