Although you rarely think of your kitchen as a playground for dangerous foodborne germs and illnesses, there are common food safety mistakes that can make it just that. Bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and botulism toxins can appear anywhere, anytime, even when there isn’t a known outbreak going on. This is why it’s extra important to always practice good hygiene in the kitchen and build habits for safe food handling, cooking, and storing. In addition to avoiding them, make sure you’re cleaning the germiest parts of your kitchen regularly. you rarely think of your kitchen as a playground for dangerous foodborne germs and illnesses, there are common food safety mistakes that can make it just that. Bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and botulism toxins can appear anywhere, anytime, even when there isn’t a known outbreak going on. This is why it’s extra important to always practice good hygiene in the kitchen and build habits for safe food handling, cooking, and storing. In addition to avoiding them, make sure you’re cleaning the germiest parts of your kitchen regularly.
WASHING RAW MEAT OR EGGS
Let’s put this one to rest once and for all. If you’re having debates with your family mem- bers about whether you should be washing raw meat, the answer is no, no, no. The same goes for eggs. Although you may think you’re doing the right thing by washing these germ-prone foods, you’re actually helping spread those germs all over your sink and countertops. The best way to kill food germs is by cooking your food properly.
NOT WASHING FRUITS AND VEGGIES
Fruits and vegetables, however, you’ll definite- ly want to wash, even if it’s something you’re peeling. The germs on the skin of fruits and vegetables can contaminate the parts that you’re actually eating, so rinsing them under running water is a must. It’s also good to have a designated vegetable brush on hand.
USING THE SAME PLATE FOR RAW AND COOKED MEAT
Please don’t ever reuse the plate or bowl where you kept raw meat during the same cooking session. Anything the raw meat has touched should be washed with dish soap immedi- ately, and that goes for cutting boards, too. It may seem like a good idea to use fewer dishes when you’re cooking so you don’t have a lot of cleaning up to do on a full belly, but this is not the place to skimp—raw meat germs will most definitely contaminate the cooked meat you’re about to eat. Same goes for fish and shellfish, too.
NOT COOKING MEAT, SEAFOOD, OR EGGS THOROUGHLY
The best way to kill the germs on your food is by cooking it thoroughly, and the temperature should be high enough to actually do the job. Use a food thermometer to make sure you’ve achieved the correct temperatures that will prevent germ-spreading:
EATING RAW OR UNCOOKED FOODS THAT CONTAIN EGGS OR FLOUR
Uncooked flour and eggs can contain an array of harmful germs, the most well-known being E. coli. Our dessert preferences aside, the best way to prevent food poisoning is to avoid the following high-risk foods altogether: runny or undercooked eggs, homemade mayo, home- made hollandaise sauce, homemade eggnog, and uncooked dough or batter of any kind. This is especially important for those who are immunocompromised—why take any chances?
TASTING FOOD TO SEE IF IT’S BAD
If you have a suspicion something in your fridge has gone bad, tasting it to make sure is a bad idea. First of all, you’ll rarely be able to taste or smell the germs that may be present on the food. Second of all, if you think a small piece of spoiled food can’t possibly cause much harm, you’re wrong. You can get seriously sick from a very small amount of spoiled food.