Video: PathSpot Helps Prevent Poop Hands in Restaurants

Poop hands. Fun to say, super gross to have, especially if you work in a restaurant.

We’ve all seen the signs in restaurants broadcasting that employees must wash their hand thoroughly before returning to work. But one person’s deep, lathery scrub is another’s gentle rinse, so how can restaurants (and consumers) be sure that the person handling their food actually has clean hands?

Minimizing foodborne illnesses is no joke. In 2018, The National Institute of Health estimated that “the cost of a single foodborne illness outbreak ranged from $3968 to $1.9 million for a fast-food restaurant, $6330 to $2.1 million for a fast-casual restaurant, $8030 to $2.2 million for a casual-dining restaurant, and $8273 to $2.6 million for a fine-dining restaurant.”

PathSpot has developed one tool to help. Its eponymous device is installed in restaurant kitchens as a means to assess whether or not an employee has indeed scub-a-dubbed enough. After washing their hands, employees stick them under the PathSpot, which uses fluorescent spectroscopy and special software to analyze and detect any pathogens like E. Coli, Salmonella and Norovirus.

PathSpot showed off its device at our recent Food Tech Live event in Las Vegas. Though I had spent the day traveling on a plane, through two airports and in a Las Vegas hotel, I stuck my hands under the PathSpot to see how well I cleaned up. What were my results? Watch the full video to see how it works and find out.

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