Is it safe to eat Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad from a hospital?

[Anonymous]

I’m currently hospitalized and one of the meals if a trio of Chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad.

I know this often makes people ill at events but would you wager the hospital has a way to prevent food poisoning or illness ?

[Anonymous]

No, I wouldn’t. The tuna has mercury, anyway. Eat the veg and ask for menu options. Some places let you choose. Seek out more veg, whole grains, and fruit. Convince a friend to bring you food.

[Anonymous]

Most modern hospitals will have refrigeration. Unless this is an outdoor hospital in a warzone. Then I would eat whatever they could manage to provide.

[Anonymous]

Of course

[Anonymous]

Those foods are also commonly ordered at restaurants without causing massive issues with food poisoning. The issue with events is that people don't store them properly, which the hospital can do.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the hospital presumably follows good practices for food safety and unless you are otherwise at risk from those foods (e.g. allergic to eggs, or pregnant and avoiding traces of mercury) it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Ew no.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand your concern, OP. The hospital has refrigeration. You know the whole hospital isn’t getting food poisoning from the chicken salad every day, right?

[Anonymous]

The state of the art hospital that performs life saving surgeries can’t possibly figure out refrigeration🤦‍♀️.

[Anonymous]

They say there are no stupid questions, but…

[Anonymous]

The legends about these things come from when raw egg homemade mayonnaise was the key ingredient. Nobody uses that anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand your concern, OP. The hospital has refrigeration. You know the whole hospital isn’t getting food poisoning from the chicken salad every day, right?

I beg to differ, hospital-borne infections are commonplace and now that there is no federal agency to report and monitor - it’s a lost cause.
The refrigeration is not happening between cafeteria and patient room. Any number of things can delay the cart significantly. I’d be careful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand your concern, OP. The hospital has refrigeration. You know the whole hospital isn’t getting food poisoning from the chicken salad every day, right?

I beg to differ, hospital-borne infections are commonplace and now that there is no federal agency to report and monitor - it’s a lost cause.
The refrigeration is not happening between cafeteria and patient room. Any number of things can delay the cart significantly. I’d be careful.

Ok but then tuna salad is no worse than turkey (listeria) or even the lettuce (e coli). Having someone bring you food is probably even worse from a food safety perspective. You still have to eat.

[Anonymous]

Commercial mayo can be left out just like commercial ketchup.

https://www.today.com/food/should-you-keep-mayo-pantry-or-fridge-t100370

The food borne illness legacy is definitely from homemade mayo, which is truly amazing.

I am confused, did they really serve you those three salads for lunch! Or we like those your three choices is a mental institute and they’re like torturing you like one flew over the cuckoo‘s nest

[Anonymous]

??? Of course it's safe. The hospital uses safe food practices. Do you avoid these foods in restaurants as well? Food poisoning with dishes that are prone to bacterial multiplication like mayo-bound salads usually happen at buffet style events or at private potlucks, when the food sits out for hours. You don't want anything to sit at room temperature, especially if the dishes are not covered.

Limit consumption of tuna because of mercury.

- microbiologist.