But, it beats eating food from a bowl or off a plate that whoever walks through the door can handle before it is consumed by someone else, and before the people are advised to go wash their hands.

I have to agree with this.

But getting back to the free popcorn and how this comment applies, there is a difference between someone / some kid reaching their hands in the machine and grabbing some loose popcorn and an employee filling bags with scoops of popcorn and never touching the popcorn itself.

Both instances are mentioned in the article. One should be legal as it poses no health risk and the other should not be occurring.

Where the “overlawyered” comes into this is:

To comply with the 1984 California Uniform Retail Food Facility Law, Meanley & Son would need to install a three-basin sink to clean and sterilize the popcorn popper. Also required: regular inspections, just like a restaurant.

“The Health Department came in,” said San Carlos True Value manager Danielle Matheny, “and told us if we wanted to continue giving away free popcorn and coffee we’d have to install a bigger vent system, a bigger and better sink in the break room — a lot of rules and restrictions they put on us.”

That’s nuts and the epitome of “overlawyered.”

True about the signs. . . . However,
The employees are required to have had physicals, and, vaccinations — Hep A is now being required in some places. In restaurants, the employees handling the food are supposed to wear gloves, aprons, and hairnets, and the cooked food is heated to a temperature that kills nearly all bacteria, the fresh foods are washed, and all food is prepared on surfaces that are supposed to be cleaned. Before preparation, the foods that may spoil are stored in refrigerated areas. In grocery stores there are health standards and the foods are to be kept clean, and I take them home for proper storage and preparation..

I’m not saying this is a foolproof system. But, it beats eating food from a bowl or off a plate that whoever walks through the door can handle before it is consumed by someone else, and before the people are advised to go wash their hands.

“I can’t imagine a reason I’d want to eat anything that’s handled by people who use bathrooms that have to post signs reminding employees to wash their hands after using the facility.”

Pretty much every grocery store and restaurant in the US is legally required to post such signs.

Thanks for the info. I get to Indiana a few times a year. I’ve also deployed a few times and had to learn to “eat local” (and caught the two step a few times). I can’t imagine a reason I’d want to eat anything that’s handled by people who use bathrooms that have to post signs reminding employees to wash their hands after using the facility.