14 Red Flags You Should Never Ignore At A Deli

Everyone knows that if you want the best sliced meats, cold salads, and sandwiches, you need to head to the deli. Whether you're going to a grocery store deli counter or your neighborhood establishment, delis combine food with a personal experience, and allow you to walk away with delicious grub that's not spent days sitting in a plastic package, and that tastes good and feels fresh. Well, most of the time, that is. Although delis make their money on offering fresh foods to the masses, it's amazing how many of them can miss the mark on the sense of cleanliness and good hygiene that comes with that. Many delis out there are riddled with red flags around the quality of their food and their sanitation, and there can be giveaways that they're places you shouldn't be buying from.

The problem is that a lot of these giveaways can be pretty subtle: Some signs may be sitting behind the counter in plain sight, but will only be noticeable for folks who are aware of them. Others will be related to how the deli clerk conducts their personal hygiene, what kind of equipment they use, and what they're wearing. Plus, developing a keen eye for how the food itself looks is crucial, to avoid disappointment and potential illness.

When you step into a deli, your eyes are usually immediately drawn to the food sitting in front of you, and the menu above the counter. However, next time you walk into one of these joints, cast your gaze downwards at the floor. Does it look like it's been cleaned recently, or is it covered in muddy shoe marks? Are the corners of the room sanitary, or is there dust and dirt in each crevice?

If the answer to either of these is the first one, you should turn around and walk straight back out. Delis are full of foot traffic throughout a trading day, and upon closure each evening, the floor should be cleaned rigorously. Food spillages and detritus is common, and if the floor isn't cleaned daily it will both build up dirt and grime and make it a hotspot for infestation.

Although some deli owners are scrupulous about cleaning throughout the day, this generally isn't necessary unless there's a spillage. Plus, doing this can create slipping hazards. Remember, the floor doesn't have to be absolutely spotless — but it does have to have evidence of it being regularly tended to.

Hairnets and gloves can seem like overkill sometimes, but trust us when we say that they're important, especially in a deli. Your deli clerk is going to be handling fresh food all day, slicing, chopping, mixing, and packaging items that all need to reach the customer in a sanitary state. Hairnets and gloves create physical barriers between the person making the food and the food itself, meaning that you can take it home without anything extra making its way into it, like the server's hair.

Gloves are especially important, and should be changed regularly. Gloves are vital not just so the clerk's hands aren't all over your food, but so that there's a smaller risk of cross-contamination. Remember, though, that gloves shouldn't be put on at the start of a shift and taken off at the end: They should be being changed each time a clerk is handling a new piece of food. If you see them moving from item to item without changing their gloves, you should avoid buying their food.

The cleanliness of the glass is arguably one of the biggest clues that a deli has a handle on their hygiene processes or not. This glass acts as a barrier between the food and the customer, and it needs to be sparkling, both to give them confidence that the food is good to eat and to entice them into buying it in the first place. If the glass is covered in fingerprints, saliva splatters, or any mucus from customers sneezing on it, then it's not exactly a good look — and could indicate that hygiene processes are being missed elsewhere.

It's also worth having a little sniff of the glass to see how it smells. We know that sounds weird, but hear us out. If the deli you're in is using a harsh glass cleaner that's full of intense chemicals, you'll probably be able to smell it a mile off. This may get the glass clean, but it also increases the risk of those chemicals becoming part of cross-contamination somewhere else. Now, obviously you don't have to press your nose to the glass to smell it (that'd be really weird) but just notice whether there's a chemical whiff in the air. In an ideal world, your deli would use a mild glass cleaner that has no smell.

Nothing should put customers off more than flies buzzing about a food establishment — and for good reason. The presence of flies is a clear indicator that either a deli's hygiene processes are not up to scratch, or that there could be contamination of the food. Fruit flies are a key sign that there's poor kitchen hygiene going on, due to their propensity for rotting food. If you see these anywhere, there could be some food going bad somewhere.

Common house flies, on the other hand, can be vectors for contamination. These flies transfer from surface to surface, frequently dwelling on plant and animal waste that could be harboring pathogens. They then land on fresh food, spreading those contaminants to the thing you're about to eat. Now, the odd fly here and there may not be a huge issue, especially when it's the height of summer and they're hard to control. However, if your deli has a noticeable presence, it's time to shop elsewhere.

Delis should smell enticing, with the promise of fresh salads and delicious meats. If there's anything tinging that scent in the air, though, it's probably time to get out. A strange smell in your deli could indicate that one of the items on display has started to go bad. Meat that's started to go bad will have a sour, offensive smell, similar to sour milk or ammonia. This smell will usually be accompanied by a strange-looking color, with meat turning overly dark or brown.

It's worth remembering, of course, that some meats and cheeses smell particularly strong, and it's easy to mistake the scent of some more intense cheeses for that of a rotting piece of food. However, if you suspect that it's something a little more dangerous, don't be afraid to shop elsewhere. Crucially, while some deli meat may last longer than others, it can spoil just like any other meat type, despite it being full of salt to preserve its shelf life. You shouldn't make the mistake of assuming that it'll be safe just because it's being served behind a counter.

Delis do a lot of preparation for their food. In addition to chopping and slicing meats, they're also mixing salads, blending sauces, and spreading various delicious items on your sandwiches. As such, they get through a lot of equipment in a single day, and they need to be cleaning it constantly to ensure that there's no cross-contamination going on.

Sadly, though, some delis may not prioritize this, and instead either re-use their equipment or just keep it to one side until they have time to clean it. This can be particularly common if they're busy, but it's really not ideal for their customers. Cleaning equipment after every use is vital to avoid any crossover or potential contamination, and delis should be doing so rigorously. So, if you see your deli clerk use a piece of equipment, and then put it to one side instead of cleaning it straight away (or at least putting it in the dishwasher), then you might be in a joint that cuts corners elsewhere. As well as this, if you see a deli clerk pull something from the dishwasher or sink and use it when it's still dirty, you should run a mile.

If there's a long line in your deli, take the time you're waiting in not to think about your order (you've probably figured that out already, if you're anything like us) but to look at how your clerk is conducting themselves. Are they washing their hands after each piece of food they handle, or are they merrily jumping from item to item without doing so? If they're doing the latter, you might be better off going elsewhere.

Sure, washing hands after you touch each piece of food might seem like overkill, but it's vital to ensure proper food safety. Washing hands helps to prevent the risk of any bacteria that might be on one food transferring to another one. This is particularly important with the kinds of foods delis serve, which are designed to be eaten straight away and usually not cooked. In an ideal world, they should be washing their hands even if they're wearing gloves. As well as this, deli clerks should always wash their hands after coming back from a break or the bathroom, if they've just put something in the trash, or if they've touched their face or hair.

The meat is the main attraction in a deli, and so you're probably casting your eye over it a few times as you order. When you do, make sure to look for a specific quality on the meat: Sliminess. Slimy meat is pretty much the quickest way to see that deli meat has gone bad, and indicates that it's totally past its prime. This sliminess is also generally accompanied by a sticky quality and a strange, unpleasant odor.

However, when it comes to beef, a certain shininess may not indicate that it's gone bad at all. Roast beef and lunch meat can sometimes develop an iridescent quality, giving it a slightly glossy appearance and a rainbow-like coloring on certain parts. This appearance is a result of the pigments in the beef reacting with heat, and it doesn't mean that your meat has gone bad — it's a natural process. Having said this, if the roast beef is accompanied by an obvious stickiness, then it could still be bad, even with this iridescent appearance.

We don't know about you, but we love a deli salad. Well, we love them when they're fresh, that is. Unfortunately, that can sometimes not be the case, due to the salads being a slightly neglected part of the deli that doesn't shift as quickly as the meat does. As a result, some salads can sit out for longer than they should, in less-than-perfect conditions — and may end up becoming unpleasant or unsafe to eat.

If you're buying a green salad, take a look at the salad leaves to see if any are wilted or slimy. Wilted salad leaves don't necessarily mean that they've become unsafe, but it could well mean that they're past their prime and not particularly tasty. It may also indicate that the deli in question has issues with its stock rotation. Slimy leaves, on the other hand, may be spoiled and should be avoided. That sliminess can also be a tell for spoiled potato salad (which probably isn't being caused by mayo). If the potato salad looks overly shiny, and it has a gross smell emanating from it, you shouldn't buy it.

Delis should feel like welcoming environments, and they should definitely have a warm, inviting vibe to them. That warmness, however, shouldn't be paired with actual heat. If your deli feels too warm, even in the height of summer, then it might well be a sign that it's not keeping its stock at a cold enough temperature. Prepared meats in delis should be kept between zero and five degrees Celsius (or 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit) in order for them to remain safe and sanitary. If things get any hotter than that, the meat becomes prone to spoilage, and the warmer it gets the more quickly this can happen.

Now, naturally, if the whole deli was kept at such a low temperature, then it'd be deeply unpleasant to shop there. There's a difference between a place being freezing and one being moderately cool, though. These fridges will kick out a lot of coldness into the room, and so you should expect the deli, and the area around the meat in particular, to be a little chilly. If it's not, that meat may not be safe.

All of us have had that awkward moment of walking into a food establishment and being greeted with ... well ... nothing. Sometimes, this can be for a good reason: You might be the first customer of the day, or you may be arriving just after the lunch rush. However, if you're going into a deli at peak time and it's totally empty, then try to avoid the temptation to take pity on the owner and instead have a think about what implications that has for your food.

A deserted deli is unfortunately a red flag because not only does it indicate that it might not be great, but it could mean that there's a low level of stock rotation going on. Delis need to prepare and serve their food to customers relatively quickly, and the longer it sits, the more likely it is to lose flavor and become unsanitary. Moreover, the deli owner might be tempted to carry their stock over to the next day to save money, but this stock may have already become past its prime. We know it's hard to walk out when you're the only customer there, but it might be necessary, just this once.

When it comes to food establishments, you might think that the items they serve are the most important thing to consider. Well, you'd be wrong: What's even more important is sanitation. Keeping a food service establishment sanitary is vital to ensure the health of their customers and quality of their stock, and with prep areas having some of the highest-traffic in these joints, sanitizing them regularly is crucial to prevent contamination. Sadly, sanitization can go right out the window when a deli is busy, and this can leave customers at much greater risk.

So, as you wait for your food, check to see if your deli clerk is sanitizing the prep area regularly. They should be wiping it thoroughly after every piece of food they prepare, using a fresh cloth or roll and some cleaning spray. Any cutting boards should be being cleaned immediately after use, too. Furthermore, if you're in the deli towards the end of the trading day, you should start to see evidence of more rigorous cleaning.

Most of us have our favorite equipment in the kitchen, and your deli clerk is likely no different. They probably have their favorite good kitchen knife and carving fork, and like to use them at any given chance. Unfortunately, though, if they seem a little too attached to them, it's a sign things aren't super sanitary. Generally speaking, your deli clerk should be using different equipment for different meats, or at least making sure that they're cleaning their equipment before using it again. Doing this will lessen any risk of cross-contamination.

This is especially important if your deli clerk is working with both raw and ready-to-eat food. If they're carving any raw meat, for instance, they should definitely be using different equipment than what they'd use to carve their cooked produce. The same goes for raw salads: The clerk shouldn't be using the fork they used to pick up meat to serve any vegetables or salad leaves. If they do, they're increasing the chances of spreading bacteria to other food in their establishment, which may then result in you becoming sick.

Your deli will likely have a walk-in refrigerator some place, and it'll usually be pretty accessible for the clerk to get in and out of. In some delis, you may even be able to see it. So, if you can, take a look at its door: Is it sealed shut, or hanging open for long periods while the clerk is reorganizing stock or getting stuff out of it? Plus, if it's a cold room instead of a refrigerator, is it separated by a plastic strip curtain, or left exposed for the whole world to see?

Well, if things aren't shut or a barrier isn't created, there could be a big issue. Walk-in refrigerators and freezers are designed to keep the cold in them, but when the door is left open or ajar, that coldness can quickly be replaced with heat. When this happens enough times, the overall temperature of the produce inside can rise, which may increase the likelihood of it deteriorating or spoiling. Continuous introduction of warm air to a cold freezer may also raise the chance of the food inside becoming freezer burned. This might seem like a minor thing to worry about, but think about it: If they're doing it in front of you, how many times have they done it before?