Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>Or is it media hype?

I own a restaurant, and I have had to take a "Safe-Serve" course. There
has to be a certified food handler on premise whenever we're open.

I think that a lot of the stuff makes sense, as there are restaurants
where food safety would not otherwise exist without inspectors looking
over your shoulder. But it's excessive.

For example, soups must be cooled from serving temp to less than 42
degrees in two hours or less. They want you to use ice paddles and/or
pour it into trays, which are placed in larger trays filled with ice
water.

There are loads of procedural charts to learn. They have an entire page
on how to wash your hands. Clean hands are important, to be sure, but
they expect everyone to clean under your fingernails and then up to your
elbows, scrubbing for 20 seconds, every time you wash your hands.

I'd love to think that everyone who handles my food has very clean hands
and/or gloves on. It' s kind of silly to think that anyone really
follows the rules though. No one on the road obeys the speed limits,
and no one in a restaurant wahses their hands correctly either.

Here's a link to one of the courses.

http://www.nraef.org/pdf_files/SSFCSB3e%20Ch%2004.pdf