The Deli Slicer Red Flag That Should Send You Running

For dedicated meal preppers, extinguishing those midday hunger pains has been planned for in advance. As for the rest of us play it by ear folks, grabbing a quick bite from a local restaurant is usually the easiest solution. A Big Mac from McDonald's is right around the corner in many areas, but let's be real: Deli fare is generally a far more satisfying lunch option than anything the Golden Arches has to offer. From a quality deli, that is. Just like there are tell-tale signs you are eating at a bad Mexican restaurant, seeing a grimy meat slicer behind the counter at a delicatessen is a sign you are at a bad deli which might warrant making a U-turn and heading back out the door.

Seeing a soiled deli slicer could simply mean someone just finished using it and is coming right back to clean it off. It could also mean it's been sitting around in a dirty state for some time -– you have no way of knowing which scenario is accurate. Any delicatessen worth spending your hard-earned dough on will prioritize a clean appearance — it's a sign that everything you can't see behind the scenes is above board. If the slicer is in view, it should look just as clean as the counters and display case.

A sullied slicer might mean just that — it's dirty, and nothing else. Unappealing, sure, but not necessarily dangerous. However, it could also mean that bacteria have been proliferating on the machine for who knows how long; creating the risk that you'll walk away with more than just a footlong sub tucked under your arm.

Delis are well-known for offering customers a wide variety of cold cut options which are shaved to just the right thickness using a slicer. While nutritionists continue to debate how healthy those appetizing meats may be, one undeniable danger they pose is that they're highly susceptible to Listeria. When the slicer that cuts those meats isn't cleaned between each use, there's an increased likelihood of bacteria proliferating and contaminating any cold cuts that come in contact with the machine. Seeing a filthy slicer isn't just unappetizing –- it's a red flag indicating you could contract a foodborne illness after chowing down on lunch.

If you think you have nothing to worry about because you prefer to order veggie sandwiches, think again. Deli slicers are versatile tools. Along with meat, toppings such as peppers, onions, and cheese are likewise cut using the appliance. That means a vegetarian sub piled high with produce could be harboring harmful bacteria if the veggies were cut using a grimy slicer. There's also the possibility that remnants of meat could end up in the sandwich, meaning it wouldn't even be vegetarian anymore.

As a best-case scenario, ingredients cut using a soiled machine could simply make your food taste off. A sandwich that doesn't taste quite right is better than one that'll make you sick, but that's setting the bar pretty low.