The Skinny On Food Hygiene
Thu Jun 19 2014
This week everybody’s talking about how it is really really unsafe to wash raw chicken before you cook it, because you put yourself and your family at risk of food poisoning, by spreading bacteria. It got us thinking about safety in the kitchen, particularly during warm weather. Here’s our top five tips for keeping your kitchen germ-free, while cooking up a storm.
On The Surface
Worktops can get super grubby while you’re preparing a family meal, so clean as you go. Use warm soapy water to clean every part of the work surface you are using, taking special care to wipe up spillages like raw egg, as they happen. Don’t forget about the other parts of the kitchen your hands come into contact to as you’re cooking; remember to wipe doors, handles and taps when you’re done.
Index Advance Chopping Boards (€59.99) by Joseph Joseph
Chop It
Chopping boards can be home to all kinds of germs, so make sure to keep them squeaky clean. Use separate boards for meat, fish and vegetables. If you have plastic boards, you can run them through a hot cycle in the dishwasher, but an antibacterial spray, some hot water and a scrubbing brush are just as good.
Wine Pairing Tea Towel (€10) from Hunkydory Home
Wash The Cloth
It is so important to keep dishcloths clean. According to safefood.eu, boiling them for 15 minutes or washing in a washing machine every two days is the most effective way of keeping them clean. If your dishcloths are a bit whiffy, then its definitely time to change them.
Hands Free
The most important tools to keep clean in the kitchen are your hands. Wash them with warm, soapy water after handling raw meat, and after preparing a meal.
washing them in a washing machine or boiling them in water for 15 minutes were the most effective ways to properly clean them. If you’ve used a dishcloth to wipe up after raw meat, raw poultry or raw vegetables, then you should replace it immediately with a clean one. And if there’s a noticeable smell from your dishcloth, then it’s definitely time to change it. – See more at: https://www.safefood.eu/Food-safety/Cleaning-the-basics.aspx#sthash.yZ207H5y.dpuf
Main image credit: Splash Spoon Rest (€10) @ The Gift Oasis
