HOW TO PREVENT CROSS-CONTAMINATION IN YOUR KITCHEN

What exactly IS food cross-contamination in the kitchen anyway? The cross-contamination of food is pretty much what it sounds like it is! It's when one food, its juices or particles touching and contaminating the presence of another food. Typically, cross-contamination occurs when bacteria from foods are transferred from one surface or utensil to another. It sounds fairly harmless and 'easy' to remedy, except it's really not as surfaces that 'look' clean, may be a breeding ground for viruses, mold and toxic bacterias, each of which, if given enough time, the right temperatures or conditions and some moisture, can grow and thrive to dangerous levels that can make you and your family very sick. But never fear, there are a few fairly simple steps you can take to prevent the cross contamination of the foods in YOUR kitchen fairly easily! Read on to find out how!


Step 1

Wash your hands well!The first step towards avoiding cross contamination of food items is to wash your hands OFTEN. Not just when you start prepping the vegetables for your salad, but in-between cutting the tomatoes and the onions..then again after you answer the phone ... and again after you flip through your recipe book ... and defiantly after you trim the steak of its fat. Your hands are a valuable tool to use in your kitchen, but your fingernails, knuckles and skin can transfer and HOLD dangerous bacterias that you cannot see without a microscope. Wash your hands often with warm water and soap and dry on a CLEAN paper towel or fresh dish cloth EVERY time as 'used' dish towels can be a mecca for bacterias, fungus and viruses. Is there a 'right way' to wash your hands?? Actually there is! Proper hand washing doesn't mean you can just stick your hands under some cold water for 2 seconds and shake the water off or pat them dry on your pants leg. To wash your hands properly, first wet your hands with warm water and then generously soap them up. Vigorously scrub your hands (the backsides as well as the palms), wrists, arms up to the elbows, knuckles, fingernail areas, and between your fingers for 10-15 seconds each. Then rinse well and dry on a fresh paper towel or clean dish towel.

Step 2

Color code your cutting boards to prevent cross contamination.Your kitchen should have at least two cutting boards, one for ready-to-eat foods (most commonly fruits, vegetables, breads, and dairy products like cheese) and a separate one to be used for raw beef, pork, seafood, and poultry. Hard plastic, dishwasher-safe cutting boards are perfect because you can designate a specific color for each food type. Fruits and vegetables could be green, meats could be pink or red, dairy products could be blue. Plastic, glass, or metal cutting boards are the safest as wooden ones can trap or 'soak up' bodily fluids or blood and actually GROW harmful bacteria which can transfer onto your other foods. Make sure to properly wash and sanitize your cutting boards after each use. If you don't have a dishwasher, then use hot, soapy water - and clean out your sink with detergent, a bleach/water solution, or water/vinegar solution for a more natural alternative. Germs thrive in the moist environment of your sink and drain area and could actually re-contaminate clean food if you lay it in the sink to 'drip dry'. Dispose of cracked, scarred, flaking, or crumbling cutting boards and replace with a new one as soon as possible to avoid cross contamination.

Step 3

Salmonella bacteria from raw chicken.When storing raw meats, seafood, and poultry in your refrigerator, the blood or 'juices' can drip onto fruit, veggies, shelving and other foods that you may not remember to 'rewash' thoroughly. Fruits and vegetables should actually be kept in the drawers in the bottom of your refrigerator and even further protected by storing them (once properly washed) into zip lock baggies. If you decide to marinate raw meats, make sure you do so in the refrigerator and not on the kitchen counter. Marinate raw meat in a plastic container or pan with a tight fitting lid or in a zip lock baggie placed into a deep pan to prevent leakage from dripping onto shelves or other foods. Marinade sauce that is used to marinate raw meats, poultry or seafood should be discarded or boiled for 5 minutes before being used on grilled, pan seared, broiled or fried foods as the marinade contains loads of potentially harmful bacterias.

Step 4

Wash all fruits and veggies well!A basic cross-contamination of food in the kitchen can result from slicing open a melon, an apple, or a tomato! The dirt, fertilizer (which could be cow manure), pesticides, or bacteria on the outside skin of common fruits and vegetables can find its way to the inside of that food while you are preparing it! To avoid cross contamination of your fruits and vegetables, rinse anything that can be eaten raw or that needs to be peeled or 'seeded' in running tap water for 2 minutes to remove any traces of chemicals, fertilizers, or visible dirt. When prepping leafy items such as lettuce, spinach, greens, or cabbage; peel away and discard the outermost leaves.

Step 5

Clean all cooking equipment thouroughally!Don't double dip! Use separate utensils to stir sauces, cook vegetables, flip meats, and strain broth or soups. Using the spatula that you flipped those raw burgers with to stir the gravy is NOT a good idea as you can easily transfer bacteria and germs this way. If you are limited to utensils, then wash your utensils in hot soapy water each time you transfer between items. The bowl that you mixed up the meatloaf in needs to be thoroughly washed and sanitized before you use it to mix up the cake batter.

Step 6

What CAN'T you see on your dish sponge?Make sure counters, faucet handles, spoon rests, pan lids, and door knobs on cabinets are clean and sanitized each time you cook or prepare separate items. Did you remember to wipe down that cabinet knob after you grabbed the salt? (remember? you were just mixing up that meatloaf and forgot to add salt; so you grabbed it really quick to throw in a pinch or two...) Germs and bacteria can thrive and grow in all of these places unless regularly cleaned with a solution of warm soapy water, bleach and water, or vinegar and water. See that yellow scrubber sponge? Ever take a look at what might be growing in it under a microscope? Your dish sponge needs to be soaked daily in a solution of bleach and water or boiled to kill lingering bacterias, fungus, and germs. Do not wipe down dishes, counters, tables, or stove tops with a 'used' dish sponge and expect them to NOT cross-contaminate those surfaces with potentially toxic substances.

Step 7

written by mumsthewordIf you found the tips and hints in this article helpful in any way, or if you have additional advice to lend to other ehow readers that may benefit them as well, then please don't forget to post your comments before you leave this page! Thanks so much for reading and rating my work here on ehow!