Cross-contamination is the spread of germs (bacteria) around the kitchen, from food to surfaces, and from surfaces to food. It can be a major cause of food poisoning. It’s important to be aware of cross-contamination when preparing and storing food and keeping good kitchen worktop hygiene.
Here are some tips to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen and avoid food poisoning:
- don't wash meat before cooking it, it won’t get rid of the harmful bugs and you could splash these bugs onto other areas of the kitchen or onto yourself
- wash hands in warm, soapy water after touching raw food (such as meats and fish) and before handling ready-to-eat foods (such as salad vegetables)
- keep raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat foods separate during storage and preparation
- don't use the same chopping board or utensils for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food (such as salads) without washing the board and utensils thoroughly between uses
