In response to what we are told on a daily basis in some commercials, we can say with certainty that food safety does not lie in the abuse of synthetic substances, but in the adoption of small tricks of common sense. Here, for example, are 7 practical tips for cooking and preparing your favorite dishes avoiding, as far as possible, contamination and food poisoning:
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
If we uncritically listened to advice and suggestions from spot and advertising campaigns we would convince ourselves that, for one perfect hygiene of our kitchens and, consequently, of our meals, the only solution is to constantly and copiously use certain products: as if most of the commercially available detergents did not contain potentially harmful chemicals from not contributing all'pollution of the waters...
In response to what we are told on a daily basis in some commercials, we can say with certainty that the food safety does not reside inabuse of synthetic substances, but in the adoption of small tricks of common sense. Here for example 7 practical tips to cook and prepare your favorite dishes avoiding, as far as possible, contamination e food poisoning:
Index
1. Separate kitchen towels for different uses
To clean the kitchen you do not need rolls and rolls of paper absorbent o sponges of different sizes and consistencies: just like our grandmothers did a few years ago, you just need to equip yourself with organic cotton sheets, more durable and suitable for supporting different tasks (they can in fact be used both to clean the surfaces of shelves, forno e refrigerator than to dry and polish foods e dishes). Just follow two easy easy "rules": do not use the same sheet for different purposes (for example, first to clean the fridge and then to dry the pots) and, after use, put them in a basket - possibly, not the one in which we put dirty laundry ... - and, after having collected a lot, slip them all together in washing machine.
2. Biological and / or do-it-yourself disinfectants for washable kitchen surfaces
As we said at the beginning, the massive use of ultra-publicized detergents and disinfectants is no guarantee of hygiene and food safety. On the contrary, many products on the market release harmful or potentially harmful substances for the body. For this, it is better to bet on natural components or on do-it-yourself: in our guide to ecological cleaning e to the preparation of natural detergents . A particularly quick and effective solution is to prepare a disinfectant based on vinegar (o lemon), bicarbonate e water, mixing half a cup of vinegar (or lemon juice) and a quarter of baking soda in two liters of water and placing this mix in a container equipped with a sprayer to use it as needed.
READ also: Natural disinfectants for the home
3. Use separate cutting boards
To avoid food poisoning always pay attention to the surfaces on which food is prepared. For example, if you are using a cutting board for the meat, you must avoid using the same surface - not washed - even for the vegetables o per la fruit. It is in fact a good idea that the residues of one food never come into contact with parts of another.
READ also: Wooden cutting boards and utensils: how to clean them correctly
4. Buy local products and zero km
A rather effective way to avoid poisoning is to always buy, when possible, local products, who do not face long journeys to reach the shelves of ours supermarkets and therefore I am more or less safe from sophistication and from problems of storage. The best solution to bring fresh food to your tables would be to buy food from your farmer of trust or at the so-called farmers markets (however, we recommend that you also read our guide on proper food storage)
READ also: Farmers market: 5 reasons to buy from the farmer
5. Keep pets away from work and cooking surfaces
It seems obvious, but it is right to reiterate it: the animals home - dogs, cats and whatnot - they should be kept away from kitchen countertops. No matter how much we love and care for them: their fur can "host" bacteria harmful to ours health.
6. Thoroughly clean scissors and knives
A particularly useful maxim to avoid food contamination is the following: kitchen scissors and knives are to be used exclusively in the kitchen. The blades, in fact, become very easily carriers of bacteria and must be carefully cleaned for each use, also avoiding using the same pair of scissors or the same knife on different foods before washing it.
7. Thoroughly clean worktops, oven and refrigerator
Finally, before preparing or cooking food, make sure that all kitchen worktops, as well as the oven and fridge, are thoroughly clean and do not bear "traces" of previous uses. The best ingredients for one effective and ecological cleaning of these surfaces are, as usual, hot water, bicarbonate e vinegar (o lemon).
Lisa Vagnozzi
READ also:
Food poisoning: how to protect yourself from foodborne illnesses ...
The 5 dirtiest places in the kitchen you don't expect
