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My job is growing veggies to supply a local cafe (yeah, I know, awesome isnt it?!!). Today the cook said that she'll start having to pour Jeyes fluid on the food waste bin to kill all the flies cos they're getting into the cafe and its unhygenic. The food waste gets transported to my compost bin and composted, so if its had Jeyes fluid on it how will this affect the resulting compost? What the hell is Jeyes fluid anyway? The whole thing sounds a bit non-organic to me, I'm not happy with it at all.

What do you guys think?

Hmm, you really don't want Jeyes fluid on your compost that for sure but equally she can't have all those flies in the kitchen, Environmental Health would have a fit so you need to find a different system - is there room to have the compost bin outside and she just has a little counter top one she can empty into it? Or a decent one with a decent lid (would have to be pedal operated in a kitchen). Fruit flies (which Im assuming they are) only like veggies that are starting to go sweet, mushy, slimy and smelly so the other option is emptying it at least every day.
I guess yet another option is that you take more of the garden waste off the veggies before you give them to her.

PS you do have rather a nice job

For the record Jeys Fluid is Formaldehyde based- same chemcial family as slug pellets and used to 'pickle' dead bodies for disection etc so a very powerful 'killer' overall- NOT for the compost heap or you will kill all those composters working hard for you.

At this time of year the small container with lid, emptied frequently outside is a good option (it's what I do at home, but I realise they will be busy in the kitchen). Otherwise just accept there is no compost waste during August until the cooler weather arrives again- shouldn't be long in Stirling

I would have thought... with my limited experience working in the food and service industry.... that you are not allowed to have uncovered waste of any kind in a working kitchen.

It absolutely needs to be in a closed bin, AND emptied at least twice a day... there must be rules and/or guidance about this.

As I say, I have a tiny bit of experience in the catering industry and that was a long time ago so I don't know any of this as fact, just an educated guess.


I would also worry a little about a cook that is so happy to slosh jeyes fluid around the kitchen


Oh yes, and it is a great job

Thanks guys. Luckily I used to work for Biobags so I still have some kitchen caddies and compostable bags I could give her. I haven't ran this idea past her yet. My friend says that knowing cooks she will probably just agree to shut me up then continue to use the bloody stuff anyway... Guess I'm gonna get another compost bin and put the Jeyes stuff in that and not put it on my veggies!

Carolinamandolina wrote:Thanks guys. Luckily I used to work for Biobags so I still have some kitchen caddies and compostable bags I could give her. I haven't ran this idea past her yet. My friend says that knowing cooks she will probably just agree to shut me up then continue to use the bloody stuff anyway...

You'd smell it - don't worry!

ina wrote:

Carolinamandolina wrote:Thanks guys. Luckily I used to work for Biobags so I still have some kitchen caddies and compostable bags I could give her. I haven't ran this idea past her yet. My friend says that knowing cooks she will probably just agree to shut me up then continue to use the bloody stuff anyway...

You'd smell it - don't worry!

Exactly what I was thinking when I read it Ina!