The Same Cutting Board Trap
Using one cutting board for everything might seem efficient, but it’s actually one of the most dangerous shortcuts you can take in your kitchen. Use one cutting board for fresh produce or other foods that won’t be cooked before they’re eaten, and another for raw meat, poultry, or seafood. This simple rule could save you from serious foodborne illness, yet millions of home cooks ignore it daily.
The problem happens when harmful bacteria from raw meat transfers to ready-to-eat foods like salads or fruits. When foodborne illness-causing bacteria are cross-contaminated around the kitchen or to other ready-to-eat foods, it’s possible to consume them without knowing. It’s like playing Russian roulette with your dinner plate. Replace them when they are worn.
Washing Raw Meat Before Cooking
This old-school habit seems logical but creates a dangerous splash zone in your kitchen. USDA research has found that washing or rinsing meat or poultry increases the risk for cross-contamination in the kitchen, which can cause foodborne illness. When you rinse that chicken under the faucet, you’re not cleaning it – you’re spreading bacteria across your sink, countertops, and nearby surfaces.
If you wash meat or poultry, some bacteria can be splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen, which can make you sick if not properly cleaned and sanitized. The water pressure creates tiny droplets that can travel surprisingly far. Don’t wash meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood to avoid spreading harmful germs around your kitchen. Proper cooking temperatures will eliminate harmful bacteria far more effectively than any rinse ever could.
The Temperature Danger Zone Shortcut
Leaving food out at room temperature is perhaps the most common shortcut that leads to serious consequences. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone.” Your kitchen counter becomes a bacteria playground faster than you might think.
That’s why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. On hot days, this window shrinks even more. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour. That summer barbecue could turn into a food safety nightmare if you’re not careful.
Using the Same Towel for Everything
Kitchen towels might look clean, but they’re often the most contaminated item in your kitchen. Reusable lunch bags and boxes create a “clean” food safety hazard as they are frequently cleaned by wiping with a dishcloth, one of the most significant vehicles for cross contamination in home kitchen. That innocent-looking dishcloth you’ve been using all day has likely picked up bacteria from multiple surfaces.
Wash dish cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine. Better yet, switch to paper towels for cleaning up after handling raw meat or dealing with spills from potentially contaminated surfaces. Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, launder them often in the hot cycle.
Skipping the Food Thermometer
Relying on color and texture to determine if food is cooked properly is like driving blindfolded. Color and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products for all cooking methods. That slightly pink chicken might look done, but appearances can be deadly.
However, few use a thermometer to verify food has been sufficiently heated in a microwave. Even microwaves, which many people trust implicitly, can create hot and cold spots that leave dangerous bacteria alive and thriving. If the food label says, “Let stand for x minutes after cooking,” follow the directions — letting microwaved food sit for a few minutes allows food to cook thoroughly as colder areas absorb heat from hotter areas.
Reusing Packaging Materials
Those foam trays and plastic wraps from raw meat seem harmless enough to reuse, but they’re contamination time bombs. Never reuse packaging materials from raw meat or poultry with other food items. Even washing them doesn’t eliminate the risk completely, as bacteria can hide in tiny crevices and scratches.
Packaging materials from raw meat or poultry also can cause cross-contamination. Never reuse disposable packaging materials, such as foam meat trays, egg cartons or plastic wraps, should be discarded immediately after you remove their contents. It’s a small cost to pay for keeping your family safe from foodborne illness.
The Defrosting Disaster
One of the most common examples of time temperature abuse in a kitchen is defrosting food incorrectly. It can be tempting to leave food out on the counter to thaw or run it under hot water, but these put your foods at risk of entering the danger zone. That frozen chicken sitting on your counter for hours isn’t just thawing – it’s creating perfect conditions for bacterial growth.
The outside of the meat reaches dangerous temperatures long before the inside is fully thawed. Use the following methods to defrost food safely: Move the frozen food to the refrigerator 10-24 hours before cooking. Place the frozen food under cold running water in a clean prep sink. Use the defrost setting on a microwave. Cook from frozen, regularly checking internal temperatures.
Overpacking Your Refrigerator
Stuffing your fridge like a game of Tetris might save space, but it’s compromising food safety. Compounding the cooling problem is that refrigerators often are packed so tightly with food that air circulation is restricted. Tight packing also increases food-to-food cross-contamination risk. Your refrigerator needs to breathe to maintain safe temperatures.
Many refrigerators are also not cool enough, with average temperatures exceeding the recommended 5 °C (40 °F). This problem has been noted in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. Only one-quarter of consumers report regularly checking refrigerator temperatures, and another quarter do not even have a refrigerator thermometer.
The Microwave Cleaning Myth
Most people assume microwaves are self-cleaning because they heat food, but that’s a dangerous misconception. In addition, microwave ovens are seldom cleaned and present a cross-contamination risk. Food splatters and spills inside your microwave can harbor bacteria and contaminate your next meal.
The steam and heat might kill some bacteria, but food particles and grease create perfect hiding spots for harmful microorganisms. Regular cleaning isn’t just about appearances – it’s about preventing the spread of dangerous bacteria from one dish to another. Think of your microwave as another surface that needs regular sanitization.
Using Reusable Grocery Bags Carelessly
A relatively new cross-contamination vehicle in the U.S. that has the potential to pose a significant risk of bacterial cross contamination is reusable grocery bags. One in three consumers report using these bags for more than just groceries —they double as gym bags, toy bags, and other uses. Those eco-friendly bags might be helping the environment, but they could be harming your health.
Raw meat juices can seep into the fabric or plastic of reusable bags, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. If you use reusable bags while grocery shopping, be sure to wash them after each use with hot water and soap to prevent the spread of any germs. Many people use these bags for months without washing them, unknowingly carrying contamination from store to store.
The Hot Food Refrigeration Rush
Putting hot food directly into the refrigerator seems like the safe thing to do, but it creates a domino effect of danger. Though it seems like the simplest option, placing hot food directly into your refrigerator or freezer is never recommended because it endangers the food around it by raising the ambient temperature in your fridge or freezer. This creates the possibility of other foods in your refrigerator or freezer entering the temperature danger zone and developing bacteria without you even knowing.
One of the most common causes of foodborne illness is improper cooling of cooked foods. Because bacteria are everywhere, even after food is cooked to a safe internal temperature, they can be reintroduced to the food and then reproduce. For this reason leftovers must be put in shallow containers for quick cooling and refrigerated within 2 hours.
