Carnival Magic food waste

[mommom of 7]

left overs from the buffet and the dining room gets sent to the working staff in the down stairs dining halls... Then what they don't eat they will make soup or broth or do what they can with it ....then it gets tossed....the chefs job is to stretch every dollar out...

 

lol i got it !!!!!!!!!!!penny saved is a penny earned & pennys make dollars.

[woodey]

And you know this how? They cannot take left overs from the buffet that have been sitting out for over a certain amount of time and serve to the crew. There are regulations that have to be followed.

 

lets say they prepare Lasagna... 25 pans they serve 15 pans on the line... the extra 10 pans will be served downstairs the day after.... I am not talking about the warmed up pan that is sitting on the line that will be tossed

and I know this because I work in the casino Industry where there are buffets and I eat left over buffet food almost every night....It is a Industry standard I have been doing it for over 25 years

[evandbob]

Google "Leftover Restaurant Food" and you will find links to programs in cities of South Florida, Los Angeles and New York City where unused food goes to shelters. Laws have been passed in these areas to disallow any liability on the donating entities, and the homeless programs are certainly appreciative of the helping hand.

 

This wouldn't work while a cruise ship is at sea, but perhaps the day it returns to its homeport?

[GatorGirl57]

Yes, on the Behind the Fun tour they talked about leftover food being pumped out as fish food.

[chengkp75]

lets say they prepare Lasagna... 25 pans they serve 15 pans on the line... the extra 10 pans will be served downstairs the day after.... I am not talking about the warmed up pan that is sitting on the line that will be tossed

and I know this because I work in the casino Industry where there are buffets and I eat left over buffet food almost every night....It is a Industry standard I have been doing it for over 25 years

 

Yes, but your casino does not have to meet USPH requirements, which are far stricter than nearly all local and state health laws. Once a food item has been placed on time control (i.e. the temperature cannot be verified, like a lot of "hot boxes") it cannot be cooled and then reheated and placed on time control (crew buffet) again. Time control includes food on the service line in the MDR galley.

Edited March 28, 2014 by chengkp75

[woodey]

lets say they prepare Lasagna... 25 pans they serve 15 pans on the line... the extra 10 pans will be served downstairs the day after.... I am not talking about the warmed up pan that is sitting on the line that will be tossed

and I know this because I work in the casino Industry where there are buffets and I eat left over buffet food almost every night....It is a Industry standard I have been doing it for over 25 years

 

Yes, but your casino does not have to meet USPH requirements, which are far stricter than nearly all local and state health laws. Once a food item has been placed on time control (i.e. the temperature cannot be verified, like a lot of "hot boxes") it cannot be cooled and then reheated and placed on time control (crew buffet) again. Time control includes food on the service line in the MDR galley.

 

 

I will drop the issue after this.... but I still don't think you get what I am saying ....the 10 pans of Lasagna that I am speaking of that has been prepared has not been cooked yet...it has been prepared..or put together... every restaurant prepares there meals prior to cooking it maybe one or two day prior ....they only cook what they need as they need it....and what I am saying of the 25 pans prepared they may only cook and use 15 of them.... they then take to 10 left pans that are prepared (not cooked) and then cook it for there staff....

 

once again I am not talking about the food that has been sitting on the line that has already been cooked....

[chengkp75]

I will drop the issue after this.... but I still don't think you get what I am saying ....the 10 pans of Lasagna that I am speaking of that has been prepared has not been cooked yet...it has been prepared..or put together... every restaurant prepares there meals prior to cooking it maybe one or two day prior ....they only cook what they need as they need it....and what I am saying of the 25 pans prepared they may only cook and use 15 of them.... they then take to 10 left pans that are prepared (not cooked) and then cook it for there staff....

 

once again I am not talking about the food that has been sitting on the line that has already been cooked....

 

If it has never been cooked, then it would not be sent to the crew, it would just be used the next night in the buffet, provided it was kept at the required refrigeration temperature, and would have a 7 day disposal date, regardless of whether cooked or not. The whole discussion is about cooked food being disposed of.

Edited March 28, 2014 by chengkp75

[Mizzouaholic]

Huh? What exactly are you trying to say?

 

 

I'm saying what's the difference if I go ahead and stuff the food on my plate into my mouth or in the trash can? Either way it's not going back for anyone else to eat.

[frayedend]

I don't want to take the time to search, but I am almost certain the re-use food the next day. But I'm not talking about food that made it out to someone's plate. More likely extra they didn't serve. I can't remember exactly but I recall certain menu items on Dream that were inclusive of something the night before. Now, this is a made up example so please don't flame me, but what I recall was something like this...

 

Prime Rib served on Tuesday night.

Wednesday appetizer of Prime Rib slices on bruscetta.

 

Anyhow, there is a restaurant near me that always has prime rib sandwiches for the lunch special the day after they have prime rib on the dinner menu. It's likely the food waste is mostly stuff that is ordered and not eaten.

[chengkp75]

I don't want to take the time to search, but I am almost certain the re-use food the next day. But I'm not talking about food that made it out to someone's plate. More likely extra they didn't serve. I can't remember exactly but I recall certain menu items on Dream that were inclusive of something the night before. Now, this is a made up example so please don't flame me, but what I recall was something like this...

 

Prime Rib served on Tuesday night.

Wednesday appetizer of Prime Rib slices on bruscetta.

 

Anyhow, there is a restaurant near me that always has prime rib sandwiches for the lunch special the day after they have prime rib on the dinner menu. It's likely the food waste is mostly stuff that is ordered and not eaten.

 

Once again, you cannot compare land restaurants with cruise ships. The health requirements are totally different.

 

Funny you should mention the prime rib. There is actually a specific requirement that allows for uncarved roast beef to be re-used for roast beef sandwiches, but again, the time/temp rules must be met. The food for dinner is prepped and cooked (particularly for a fixed seating MDR) ahead of the seating, not waiting for orders, so the amount cooked is based on past history as I've said, and sometimes quite a lot of food goes to waste because people didn't show up for one reason or another. However, the past statistics are pretty good at predicting what will be ordered.

[SadieN]

This is exactly what I saw on our 10day Princess cruise. Meat or veggies from the previous day would be served in another variation. NOT saying what was served/put out was being reworked. But the unused/unserved portions being reworked. I have to believe that the food was being kept at the correct temp.

 

Statistics are a good indicator but not a fail safe.

I am in charge of a yearly meal for 125, same menu every year. Almost always the same people. Every year we run out of something different. One year they ate all the pineapple, another all the tuna was gone.

[frayedend]

Once again, you cannot compare land restaurants with cruise ships. The health requirements are totally different.

 

Funny you should mention the prime rib. There is actually a specific requirement that allows for uncarved roast beef to be re-used for roast beef sandwiches, but again, the time/temp rules must be met. The food for dinner is prepped and cooked (particularly for a fixed seating MDR) ahead of the seating, not waiting for orders, so the amount cooked is based on past history as I've said, and sometimes quite a lot of food goes to waste because people didn't show up for one reason or another. However, the past statistics are pretty good at predicting what will be ordered.

 

All I was really saying is that they most certainly use food that was not served. They can reheat things as long as they are stored properly. The regulations have a lot of text describing things such as cooled foods that were previously cooked. Even food that was on the buffet line could theoretically be used again if it was in an enclosed case (I realize that there really aren't any completely enclosed cases in the main buffet.)

 

Food Reservice (15 C)

After being served and in the possession of a CONSUMER or being

placed on a buffet service line, food that is unused or returned by

the CONSUMER must not be offered as food for human

consumption.

 

Exceptions:

• A container of food that is not POTENTIALLY

HAZARDOUS may be transferred from one CONSUMER to

another if the food is dispensed so that it is protected

from CONTAMINATION and the container is closed

between uses (such as a narrow-neck bottle containing

catsup, steak sauce, or wine) OR the food (such as

crackers, salt, or pepper) is in an unopened original

package and is maintained in sound condition.

• Reservice for foods served to passengers from a fully

enclosed display case and under strict employee

monitoring, strict temperature control of hot/cold

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS, proper cooling and

reheating of hot-held POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS,

and complete protection from any other

CONTAMINATION sources, including pests.

[chengkp75]

This is exactly what I saw on our 10day Princess cruise. Meat or veggies from the previous day would be served in another variation. NOT saying what was served/put out was being reworked. But the unused/unserved portions being reworked. I have to believe that the food was being kept at the correct temp.

 

Statistics are a good indicator but not a fail safe.

I am in charge of a yearly meal for 125, same menu every year. Almost always the same people. Every year we run out of something different. One year they ate all the pineapple, another all the tuna was gone.

 

That may have been your perception of the food, but unless you saw it being done on the galley tour, I would doubt it (unless this was a cruise that didn't call at US port?). Again, they may have taken uncooked portions of what was in the menu the day before, and cooked it and presented it differently, if they defrosted too much. The only way that food is allowed to be on temperature control is when it is in a controlled environment (oven, pressure cooker, or hot/cold box) that is enclosed. Once a food item is taken from one of these areas and placed on a steam table or cold table, either in the buffet line or on the plating line in the galley, you can no longer guarantee that ALL of the food in the pan is kept at the proper temperature. The stuff at the bottom may be above the required temperature, and the stuff at the top may be below the required temperature. USPH recognizes this, and this is why you now place food on time control. You have a 4 hour window, and then all the food has to be discarded. I'm not making this up, I wish USPH made it easier for us, but it is the system that ships have to work under, and it does create an extremely safe food chain.

 

Never said statistics were fool proof. That's why they sometimes run out of an item, but they tend to err on the plus side.

[bobnsons]

As you've said, the bread placed in a basket on your table must be fresh daily.

 

 

Carnival must have a baking secret. Only time I ever eat any bread products that have a 3 or 4 day old consistancy on the day they are baked is on a Carnival ship.

 

 

That can not be an easy thing to do.

[chengkp75]

All I was really saying is that they most certainly use food that was not served. They can reheat things as long as they are stored properly. The regulations have a lot of text describing things such as cooled foods that were previously cooked. Even food that was on the buffet line could theoretically be used again if it was in an enclosed case (I realize that there really aren't any completely enclosed cases in the main buffet.)

 

Food Reservice (15 C)

After being served and in the possession of a CONSUMER or being

placed on a buffet service line, food that is unused or returned by

the CONSUMER must not be offered as food for human

consumption.

 

Exceptions:

• A container of food that is not POTENTIALLY

HAZARDOUS may be transferred from one CONSUMER to

another if the food is dispensed so that it is protected

from CONTAMINATION and the container is closed

between uses (such as a narrow-neck bottle containing

catsup, steak sauce, or wine) OR the food (such as

crackers, salt, or pepper) is in an unopened original

package and is maintained in sound condition.

• Reservice for foods served to passengers from a fully

enclosed display case and under strict employee

monitoring, strict temperature control of hot/cold

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS, proper cooling and

reheating of hot-held POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS,

and complete protection from any other

CONTAMINATION sources, including pests.

 

Note the requirement for strict temperature control. The last exemption you quote is for things like yogurt or sandwiches that are in a closed case, and the guest opens a door to get something out. As I've said, an open steam table (which is where most meals are plated from in the galley) cannot, by definition, have strict temperature control. So, theoretically, food that is cooked, lets say a whole chicken, is taken from the oven, placed in a temperature control hot box, but not used for dinner service. It must then be blast chilled to get the temperature down below 41F in less than 4 hours, placed in the walk-in, and the next day, it must be reheated until the internal temperature is 165F, or the original cooking temperature. This would result in dry, overcooked food, which is another reason it's not done. I don't recall, in 4 years on the cruise ships, seeing one single item that was cooked and then reused.

[frayedend]

 

Statistics are a good indicator but not a fail safe.

I am in charge of a yearly meal for 125, same menu every year. Almost always the same people. Every year we run out of something different. One year they ate all the pineapple, another all the tuna was gone.

 

I would agree with this but statistics are probably much more accurate on a ship with 3000 people than a meal for 125. I'm sure the ships have a pretty good idea of how much they will use. But I've never heard of them running out of anything either. I still believe they re-use items. But I don't think it's arbitrary. They probably don't cook a lot of stuff. It isn't all pre-cooked. For example, they can probably adjust late dining based on early dining.

 

Note the requirement for strict temperature control. The last exemption you quote is for things like yogurt or sandwiches that are in a closed case, and the guest opens a door to get something out. As I've said, an open steam table (which is where most meals are plated from in the galley) cannot, by definition, have strict temperature control. So, theoretically, food that is cooked, lets say a whole chicken, is taken from the oven, placed in a temperature control hot box, but not used for dinner service. It must then be blast chilled to get the temperature down below 41F in less than 4 hours, placed in the walk-in, and the next day, it must be reheated until the internal temperature is 165F, or the original cooking temperature. This would result in dry, overcooked food, which is another reason it's not done. I don't recall, in 4 years on the cruise ships, seeing one single item that was cooked and then reused.

 

I know exactly what you are saying. My example on Dream, that I truly wish I could remember, was something like turning that chicken in to soup. It wouldn't work for serving the same way. But some items, like pork ribs, can easily be chilled to temp in 4 hours and re-heated. I want to say it was something with the braised short ribs but I really can't recall.

[WetToes]

 

**

I was on the Sapphire Princess at the beginning of the month. The ship uses the big platters. I was trying to figure out what I liked so I was taking a tablespoon size of this and that. The chef called me out on it. Told him I was testing things to see what I should come back for. He said NO ONE does that.

 

This may seem like a dumb question, but after some of the things that have been asked on here, I think not.

Were you using a fresh spoon every time?

[dljones]

It is unfortunate that so much is wasted but food borne illness isn't just a bad tummy ache. It is potentially deadly. With such a captive audience it is especially important to maintain the highest level of food safety procedures.

 

The level of potential contamination in such a closed circuit is a recipe for disaster as evidenced by frequent outbreaks of Norovirus , for example, which ends up sickening hundreds of passengers and crew. If you think about the potential dangers of cruising I would think food born pathogens to rank pretty high.

 

I can't tell you how many times I have had raw chicken (packaged yes and with additional plastic wrap) has been put into my own grocery bag with raw vegetables. That is stupid beyond belief.

[SadieN]

This may seem like a dumb question, but after some of the things that have been asked on here, I think not.

 

Were you using a fresh spoon every time?

 

 

Using each item's serving utensil in the buffet line.

 

Not a dumb question. Really don't know how large a serving I was giving myself, but in general it was less than a quarter of the serving spoon.

I could see someone going around with their own spoon, dishing themselves their portions. Completely ignoring the issue of cross contamination. But that's a subject for another thread.

[sjn911]

It is really a time to almost want to put gloves on using serving utensils in buffet that all are using.

 

Definitely want to wash hands before eating at buffet the right way i a sink..but don't want it to get cold or sit there alone. With less help, plated things can get to you slow from under the warmer. Once an elegant tlobster was a disaster and I had already waited too long..to aim for something else so it was the show and BLT room service and soft serve ice cream before..LOL.

 

My last Carnival cruise most bread and dessert items were just stale..like they were using staple things on the edge up before a big Hawaii run and then a turnover to down under on the Spirit.

Not wasting can go both ways in certain circumstances. So glad latest food reports are better. I hate to see wasted food and I also hate to see sick people. I think the smaller portions on cruises are great....love to all...eat well and safely...what a job..even at home...Sarah

Edited March 28, 2014 by sjn911

[overthehillcruiser]

If you think about it, on the lido deck, they have hand sanitizer and all that, but the serving utensils are touched by everyone, like the salt and pepper shakers on the tables, so what can be done to prevent this ? Normally, I don't worry about it, but you can see how something can be easily spread..

[wrigley80]

When we took the Behind the Fun tour on the Freedom......our guide told us that the leftover food is ground up and dumped out to sea once the ship is so far out to sea

[adonisr]

Very true! I worked for a local grocery chain years ago and we were not permitted to donate food to the food pantries because someone sued another chain after getting sick.

 

 

Next cruise: Carnival Breeze June 2014

 

Lawyers ruin so many things.

[asalligo]

I seem to recall them saying some food was ground up and dumped into the sea at the behind the fun tour. I dont remember the parameters.

 

 

This is also what we were told on the behind the scenes tour a month ago. To me that is better than simply wasted.

[overthehillcruiser]

They do grind and and feed a bunch to the fish which is a good thing..