As we all know, some companies bring in pre packaged ground pork, turkey, etc., and strictly forbid you to make your own ground pork, lamb, turkey, and/or chicken. The ONLY thing allowed (ever) in your grinder is beef. In my area (N. California) this began around 1991 when Pack N Save/Safeway was caught putting pork in the ground beef. This wasn't just a cross contamination accident or careless not washing between grinds. It was intentional and the company was fined (millions$$ ???)
So because of that, or maybe just to go along with the other stupid rules, now some stores don't allow grinding of any non beef items, even if a customer asks. You must throw away all pork trim.
Do you make your own ground pork or turkey? Would you be allowed to grind a pork roast for a customer? Suppose you're out of packaged ground pork? Could you then make ground pork for one customer who desperately wants it?
At Giant we ground roasts for people and that was a major chain. At the independent I am at now we actually got the roasts priced ten cents higher than the steaks to discourage people from asking us to grind or slice them for steaks. I don't really agree witht hat concept but its what they were doing before i got there. I do not see anything wrong with grinding pork after beef with out cleaning. just make sure you throw the first bit away. Heck i really don't have much of a problem with grinding beef after pork either. just catch the first bit again and throw it away. We HAVE to have sausage out there in the morning and if i run out i have to mak eit first thing in the morning. Its not going to hurt anything. By the way if you can't gring pork what do you do with your pork trimming?. Now ground turkey or chicken is another thing. Absolutely NOT. If I have to grind that the grinder will be broken down and cleaned throughly. Hogs and Steers are both mammals. Birds are not. to me that is cross contamination at its worst. sure pigs and cows are different species but close enough in my book.
we have a seperate grinder for the pork, poulty is prepacked. Sure helps when butt steaks are on add , something to do with the trim. I always wondered why it was forbidden to grind the pork in the beef grinder. I thought it was because of religious views.... muslums dont eat pork so I thought that was why we had seperate grinders. But all of this really does not make any sense as the saw is not cleaned between cutting beef and pork so really whats the big deal.. lots of rules that do not make any sense to me.
At my previous company we had a thick book of rules. One of the rules (and we had to sign for it) was that we'd never change from one species to another without first cleaning and sanitizing the band saw.
Can you imagine actually following that rule? It sure looks good in the book for the lawyers, judges, and juries just in case something happens.
I even requested that they provide a hand saw for small jobs to save the time and labor of cleaning the band saw. I mean suppose you're cutting beef and someone wants you to crack a lamb shank? Oh, and is the customer going to have to wait for you to clean the saw before you crack the shank. Can you imagine having to clean that saw before and after cutting the shank?
Of course they didn't get us a hand saw.
One store happened to have a hand saw left over from the dark ages. I made good use of it.
One time I had a hypocrite jacka$$ manager who had a cup of coffee every day, but didn't want to allow me my bottle of water. I told him "ok, you want me to follow the rules? Then I will" So I started cleaning the saw 5 times every morning. I did that until I got thrown out.
(transferred to another store)
Later a friend told me I should "choose my battles wisely". He was right, but I'm in a better place now. It worked out good for me.
-- Edited by Burgermeister on Monday 23rd of April 2012 08:26:28 AM
we have a seperate grinder for the pork, poulty is prepacked. Sure helps when butt steaks are on add , something to do with the trim. I always wondered why it was forbidden to grind the pork in the beef grinder. I thought it was because of religious views.... muslums dont eat pork so I thought that was why we had seperate grinders. But all of this really does not make any sense as the saw is not cleaned between cutting beef and pork so really whats the big deal.. lots of rules that do not make any sense to me.
I hear ya, sometimes its just better to play the game.... thats what I tell my staff. They pay you to do things their way so play the game and pick your battles, the ones that really affect your life inside and outside of work.
Do we cut pork on the saw? Same we grind pork as well.It is call cleaning up after you use the grinder,only takes 10 minute to take it apart and santize it. We grind pork first thing in the morning, then it is done. Most stores in our area bring it in prepack.
Do we cut pork on the saw? Same we grind pork as well.It is call cleaning up after you use the grinder,only takes 10 minute to take it apart and santize it. We grind pork first thing in the morning, then it is done. Most stores in our area bring it in prepack.
Ground Pork --> yes Ground Turkey and Chicken --> prepacked
Our company has a grinder log, if you use the once ground tubes you write it down every time you make burger, then say you use table trim to make an afternoon grind, you have to wash, rinse, sanitize the grinder before putting any tubes through again. Had a lady the other day wanting a warehouse pack of bnls sknls brsts ground and got upset when I told her we couldn't and that she had to buy the prepacked. I find the prepacked ground turkey and ground chicken is a hit and miss item. I agree with the above, once you properly wash rinse sanitize, it's all good
We were allowed to grind pork. We were required to completely break down the grinder and blender after EVERY grind, and document it, no matter what meat we ground.
We grind anything. With the sanitize systems we have nowadays this should not be a problem. These days you need all the happy customers you can get! We even make sandwich spread first thing in morn then clean & sanitize and grind beef.
