Keeping it Clean: Understanding and Preventing Cross-Contamination in Everyday Life

Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene is essential for our health, and cross-contamination is one component that sometimes goes unnoticed yet poses serious concerns.

It can cause the spread of dangerous germs, viruses, and allergens in the kitchen, bathroom, or other parts of our lives. A foodborne infection affects an estimated 600 million individuals annually worldwide.

You can only enjoy your meal and have food security if the food you are provided is safe. When the primary cause of foodborne illnesses is something that cannot be seen, it is difficult to fulfill this goal. Let us dig a bit deeper into cross-contamination.

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What is cross-contamination?

When hazardous germs, allergies, or other contaminants are transferred from one surface or object to another, it is referred to as cross contamination. Direct touch, airborne particles, or the sharing of utensils can all result in this transfer, which could spread pathogens and increase the risk of infection or illness.

Clean your counter tops before cooking. (Image via Unsplash/ Jason Briscoe)

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What is cross-contamination in food?

Cross-contamination is a major issue when it comes to food safety. It happens when contaminated or raw food pathogens come into touch with cooked or ready-to-eat food, utensils, or surfaces. This may occur as a result of careless handling, insufficient cleaning, or repeated use of contaminated equipment.

Here are some instances of cross contamination between foods:

• Meat drippings from raw meat kept on the top shelf of a refrigerator may fall onto cooked vegetables kept on the lower shelf.
• Placed on a grill next to a steak that is being cooked is raw chicken.

Now, let us have a look at some prevention techniques.

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How to prevent cross-contamination?

Here are some tried and tested ways to prevent contamination:

Separation: When storing, preparing, and cooking food, keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs apart from meals that are already ready to consume. To avoid touch and cross contamination, use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for raw and cooked items.

Proper Handling: Before and after handling food, properly wash your hands with soap and water. This is especially important when switching between raw and cooked foods. By doing this, the spread of dangerous bacteria is reduced.

Cleaning and Sanitising: To get rid of any potential pathogens, regularly clean and sanitize kitchen surfaces, utensils, and equipment. When washing, use hot, soapy water and think about applying sanitizer to further disinfect.

Handle your food properly to prevent contaminating your food. (Image via Pexels/ Kampus Production)

Storage: To avoid drips or spills from contaminating other items, store raw meats, poultry, seafood, and eggs in leak-proof containers or sealed bags on the lower shelves of the refrigerator. Keep cooked and ready-to-eat meals covered and away from raw ingredients.

Safe Cooking Temperatures: To ensure that dangerous bacteria are eliminated, cook food to the proper internal temperature. To test the temperature precisely, use a food thermometer.

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What is the best way to avoid cross-contamination?

It is beneficial to take preventative measures to minimize cross-contamination. One action that most people are familiar with is washing sinks and countertops in hot, soapy water. But in addition, you should use sanitizers that can get rid of disease-causing germs to clean surfaces and sanitize utensils as well as wash your hands regularly.

Practice clean cooking at home. (Image via Unsplash/ Jason Briscoe)

For a healthier and safer environment, be vigilant, prioritize cleanliness, and adopt the following healthy habits:

• Use distinct cutting boards for various food items, such as one for fruits and vegetables and another for meat.
• When handling food, refrain from touching your face, hair, or other areas.
• Keep potential allergies, like nuts or shellfish, apart from other components and serving equipment.
• To stop the spread of bacteria from raw meat or fruit, wash and sanitize reusable supermarket bags.

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Thankfully, bacterial contamination is simple to avoid despite the fact that it can have detrimental and even fatal effects. To avoid cross-contamination, maintain good hygiene, wash and sanitize your equipment, and store and serve food according to proper procedures.