Wyo. May Ban Facial Piercings in Eateries

Yahoo! News / AP ^ | March 14, 2005 | CURTIS B. WACKERLE

[Stoat]

Wyo. May Ban Facial Piercings in Eateries

 

Mon Mar 14, 7:09 PM ET

By CURTIS B. WACKERLE, Associated Press Writer

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - As if the hair in your salad wasn't bad enough, a city health inspector said there had been "several cases" of tongue rings and other facial jewelry found in the food in the city's restaurants.

It was enough to persuade the Governor's Food Safety Council to recommend banning facial jewelry for restaurant workers who prepare food — perhaps becoming the first state in the country to do so.

But despite his testimony, when contacted by The Associated Press, Jon Cecil of Cheyenne Health Department couldn't cite a single documented case of facial jewelry falling into a restaurant dish.

That's not what he said in a Jan. 25 hearing before the Food Safety Council.

"We've had several cases of old ladies finding tongue rings and rings and whatnot in their food," Cecil testified. "We actually had a lady at one of our finer restaurants in town and ... she found a tongue ring."

The council voted 5-3 to recommend the changes, which could go into effect as early as this spring.

Cecil said he learned of the incident from the restaurant, not from the customer, so no formal complaint was ever filed. He would not release the name of the restaurant.

In approving the regulation, the food safety council said nose, tongue and lip piercings were health hazards because a piercing that found its way into food could spread a staph infection.

Dr. John Townes, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Oregon Health Sciences University, said nose rings could transmit staph bacteria — the inner nose is one of the most common sites for staph to colonize — especially if the wearer had a habit of touching the nose ring with his hands.

But Townes said a nose ring would have to sit in a plate of food for hours before a sufficient population of bacteria built up to spread the disease. Townes said he knew of no documented cases of foodborne illness resulting from facial piercings.

"I think it would be vastly more important for them to wash their hands," he said.

[Stoat]

[Paleo Conservative]

LOL!

[writer33]

Fascists!!!!!!!!!!!!

:) Hehe!

[Andrew LB]

I don't know of any restaurant of decent quality in Southern California which allows their employees to have facial pearcings or tongue rings. Girls are usually limited to one earring per ear.... and small ones only.

[Jeff Chandler]

I'm leaving this post before someone posts the photo of the piercing guy.

[Stoat]

I'm leaving this post before someone posts the photo of the piercing guy.

[Drango]

a city health inspector said there had been "several cases" of tongue rings and other facial jewelry found in the food in the city's restaurants.

I sooooooooooo didn't need to read that. LOL. There is a pizza joint near the local college where the servers MUST average over 20 rings per face.

[SittinYonder]

If I found a "tongue ring" (??) in my food, it wouldn't be the ring that would concern me. I would be most upset that someone was licking my food.

[Stoat]

There is a pizza joint near the local college where the servers MUST average over 20 rings per face.
 

My sympathies to you.  If you MUST eat there, here's a stylish accessory to take with you.  A quick wave over your entree may reduce some concerns, although it won't pick up any associated bacteria or viral nastiness.....

[Stoat]

Fascists!!!!!!!!!!!!

:) Hehe!

Sorry, I'm not good enough with Photoshop (yet) to produce a pic of Hitler with a nose ring  :-)

 

[Stoat]

If I found a "tongue ring" (??) in my food, it wouldn't be the ring that would concern me. I would be most upset that someone was licking my food.

Yes, maybe it will be one of these?

[expatguy]

Yup they definately look like the kind of guys who would be licking the pepperoni at the pizza shop.

[SittinYonder]

That picture was completely unnecessary. Now I'm going to go scratch out my eyes.

[Squantos]

FREAKS !

[Junior_G]

I would be mostly concerned with what fluids have previously coated said tongue ring.

[Stoat]

That picture was completely unnecessary. Now I'm going to go scratch out my eyes.

I sincerely apologize.  Hopefully this one will make up for it (although it doesn't pertain to piercings, per se, and so may be 'off topic',,,, I post it now as a public service)

[SittinYonder]

Fortunately I'd only scratched out my left eye, so I'm able to see this and thank you for it. What a really pretty picture.

[Stoat]

I would be mostly concerned with what fluids have previously coated said tongue ring.

Agreed.  Too much is unknown about disease transmission to rule out any possibility of troubles stemming from such contact, and of course we have no idea as to what volume of fluids are accompanying your appetizer as well.  A little? A lot? Saliva only, or a bit of blood also?  What to do?  According to the article, it doesn't appear likely that the offending restaurant(s) will be named, and even if they are, who is to say that similar 'people' work at other places?

The Stoat Solution:

1.  Become a good chef! (cooking your own food at home puts you in control of your destiny)

2.  When you HAVE to eat out, patronize upscale restaurants or those places where you can SEE the cooks.  Do they look scruffy, scummy, unkempt, or hippie-esque?  Take your food dollars elsewhere!

Additional suggestions?

 

[MeekOneGOP]

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - As if the hair in your salad wasn't bad enough, a city health inspector said there had been "several cases" of tongue rings and other facial jewelry found in the food in the city's restaurants.

Oh, man. hahahaaaaa!

[flying Elvis]

A gal at the local Blockbuster had me completely mesmerized by her infected nose piercing last week. I couldn't stop looking at it. I was like Austin Powers when he saw the guy with the huge mole on his face for the first time.