Dear Restaurant Owners and Staff:

[Winnipesaukee]

^^I honestly think (albeit with no scientific evidence) that this "sanitation" craze is unnecessary for anyone with a two-digit age. Sure, nobody would use the same cutting board on chicken (or one of a certain batch of-400-million eggs ) and then go straight to cutting lettuce for a salad.

Barring that, anyone with a decent immune system can handle the typical amount of bacteria in a rare piece of beef or even undercooked fish or chicken. Poached eggs have never caused anyone I know problems, either. We get bent out of shape when traces of bacteria show up in that piece of tuna under a microscope.

However, the reason health codes are so strict is because restaurants could be cooking for somebody with a less than healthy immune system (no examples nevessary). But most of us capable of posting of this forum will be far from getting poisoned while eating out. It is much more likely at home, though still somewhat hard to accidently do.

Remember: the bacteria are more scared of you than you are of them...