Preparing food can be really dangerous if you don't keep these simple hygiene rules in mind
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himPreparing food can be really dangerous if you don't keep these simple hygiene rules in mind
Eating is one of the activities we do most frequently in a lifetime - every day and several times a day - therefore the quality of what we eat has a profound influence on the quality of our life. Many choose to cook their own food at home to have greater awareness of what ends up on their plate and also to favor high quality ingredients and healthier cooking methods. However, there are some bad habits that should be avoided when cooking, as they can be harmful to our health and to those who will taste what we have prepared. (READ also: 7 tips to avoid food poisoning in the home kitchen)
Index
Don't wash your hands
Thanks to the pandemic, we should all have learned by now: hand hygiene is very important and represents one of the most powerful weapons to prevent the proliferation of germs and viruses. This is even more true when dealing with food - raw or cooked. Before starting a preparation, or even just peeling an apple, let's go to the bathroom and wash our hands: in this way we will avoid ingesting bacteria that could lead to infections or diseases - such as bacterium E. coli, which causes intestinal diseases and which is transmitted through incorrect dietary practices, as highlighted by this study.
(Read also: Physicists have discovered the perfect way to wash your hands to eliminate bacteria and viruses (including Covid))
Taste and mix with the same cutlery
Even in this case, a little common sense is worth - but often lacking, especially if we are in a hurry and have little time to devote to cooking. Using the spoon or fork with which we have just tasted to continue mixing the dish it cooks is the most unhygienic we can do: even if we are not sick, our mouth is still full of bacteria that will transfer into the pot and contaminate the dish, putting the health of those who eat with us at risk.
To avoid this risk, we can pour a little of the dish to be tasted on a saucer or in a cup and from there draw with another cutlery for tasting, or deposit in a second spoon the food taken with the spoon with which we are mixing (making sure that the two spoons do not touch each other): in this way, we will not have contaminated the whole pot but we will still know if what we are preparing lacks salt or cooking. Even using your finger to taste is not recommended, as it is also a carrier of bacteria that end up directly in the pot, as explained in the guidelines for food safety proposed by the US government.
Don't wash your food well
Fruits and vegetables are foods rich in pesticides and chemical substances on the surface, so it is essential to wash them very well before using them - even if we cook them: any cooking method, in fact, will not eliminate either the chemicals or any bacteria present on the surface of vegetables and fruit. (Read also: Pesticides on fruits and vegetables: rinsing is not enough, these are the best and most effective methods to remove them)
A different speech should be made for meat and poultry, which must not be washed or rinsed in any way before proceeding with cooking. According to health authorities, washing the raw meat of any animal is not only useless but is even potentially harmful, as it exposes us to the risk of cross-contamination: in practice, the bacteria present on the meat or in its juices can spread through the water of the washing tools and surfaces which, if not thoroughly cleaned, can lead to the proliferation of germs.
Don't keep the kitchen clean
A clean and tidy environment is not only pleasant to look at, but represents a guarantee for our health, as it removes the risk of bacteria and germs proliferating. Change the rags we use to dry hands or clean dishes very frequently, do not wear the same clothes with which you do other activities (for example, those in which we went out or went to the office), pay attention to cleaning and disinfection knives and other utensils - everything can make a difference to our health.
Storing food in the wrong way
Every time we return from the supermarket, we take a few moments to properly arrange the food in the fridge or pantry, carefully reading the instructions on the label. Even the leftover food from the day before, which we do not want to throw away so as not to waste it, must be stored correctly - otherwise it risks turning into a dangerous receptacle of bacteria that we will feed on ... tomorrow. HERE you will find some useful tips to better preserve food inside the refrigerator.
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Sources: US Government / Ministry of Health
We also recommend:
- This contamination is among the main causes of food poisoning that few pay attention to
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- Food contamination: viruses are transmitted with a knife
- Be careful, leftover rice could be very bad for you if you don't store it properly
- Food poisoning: how to protect yourself from foodborne illnesses
- Food poisoning: 8 rules to avoid them in the summer
