12 Food Safety Mistakes You’re Definitely Making In The Kitchen
Using contaminated cutting boards
It might be more convenient to put all your ingredients on a large cutting board but it’s also more dangerous as cutting boards can hold harmful bacteria and facilitate cross-contamination. In fact, cutting boards hold 200 times more dangerous bacteria than a toilet seat!
More than that, germs on a cutting board can double after 10 minutes, no matter if you use it to cut vegetables or raw meat.
Captain’s tip: Always clean and sanitize your cutting board before and after using it. According to the USDA, hot, soapy water before and after every use can prevent cross-contamination and destroy bacteria such as salmonella, E-coli and campylobacter, the most common cause of bacterial foodborne illnesses. Also, don’t use a kitchen cloth to wipe the board, as it can also become a contamination source when you use it to clean other kitchen surfaces.
In terms of safety, Ross Henke, executive chef at Quiote in Chicago, Illinois, suggests “putting a couple of wet paper towels or a kitchen towel under your cutting board to stabilize it on a flat counter” and avoid injuries.
