Kansas State University and North Carolina State University have released a new Food Safety InfoSheet about cross-contamination. While these InfoSheets are for food businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, and farms, they contain valuable information for consumers too.
Poor food handling practices cause a lot of cross-contamination that leads to illness. One of the main sources of cross-contamination is raw meats. A study done after a 2009 outbreak of Salmonella Enteriditis PT8 in the U.K. found that staff at the Tenth Hole Tea Rooms washed salad ingredients in a sink that was used to wash raw chicken. Seventy-five customers contracted salmonellosis after eating at that restaurant.
Many people watched their mothers and grandmothers wash raw chicken and other raw meats before preparation. But this step is completely unnecessary and can contaminate your kitchen with Salmonella and other bacteria. In fact, bacteria can be sprayed up to three feet from the faucet when raw meats are washed.
