Kitchen Life 2: What do people really do in their kitchens?
Discussion
I've often wondered about this but now the FSA have a proper study and report on food safety at home (and some businesses). I suspect there's a lot to wade through but a quick extract...
"The research shows that almost half of the time, householders who took part only rinsed their hands with water, and did not use soap, when preparing meat, fish or poultry, thus exposing themselves to potential foodborne illness. The study also found that over half of households who installed a thermometer in their fridge had an average temperature higher than the recommended maximum of 5°C , risking the growth of harmful bacteria."
https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/kitchen-l...
The 7 reports are:
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates
The creation of food waste
So I guess the question is, how safe is your kitchen?
"The research shows that almost half of the time, householders who took part only rinsed their hands with water, and did not use soap, when preparing meat, fish or poultry, thus exposing themselves to potential foodborne illness. The study also found that over half of households who installed a thermometer in their fridge had an average temperature higher than the recommended maximum of 5°C , risking the growth of harmful bacteria."
https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/kitchen-l...
The 7 reports are:
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates
The creation of food waste
So I guess the question is, how safe is your kitchen?
Edited by 21TonyK on Tuesday 31st October 14:58
My wife cuts up everything all on one board, doesn't wash her hands in-between and huffs if I mention it. If I didn't scrub it clean before I make something I think it would only get washed if it got too sticky. If the stuff she made didn't taste so good I'd probably make more of a stand about it.
Pent said:
i am still here so i guess ill be carrying on with however i cook lol
My Mrs is awful for observing use by dates as if the contents become toxic at midnight. Amazing that as recently as the '70s something like nearly half of all households didn't have a fridge and yet here we are. It depends on the meal for me. I'm pretty easy when it comes to chopping stuff up,
but for chicken and fish, once I use a knife and board, I immediately wash it once prep of that bit is done and then leave it in the sink and don't then use it for any other bits of the meal prep. I'm slightly paranoid about raw chicken in particular and don't want fish bits around my kitchen.
I then use a new knife and board for everything else in that meal. No one's got sick yet
but for chicken and fish, once I use a knife and board, I immediately wash it once prep of that bit is done and then leave it in the sink and don't then use it for any other bits of the meal prep. I'm slightly paranoid about raw chicken in particular and don't want fish bits around my kitchen.
I then use a new knife and board for everything else in that meal. No one's got sick yet
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry - Not guilty - a bit OCD with this
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry - See above
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes - Guilty
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures - Probably
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout - Probably but rarely
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates - Definitely but mainly veg
The creation of food waste - Nope
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry - See above
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes - Guilty
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures - Probably
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout - Probably but rarely
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates - Definitely but mainly veg
The creation of food waste - Nope
I'll reuse a board that has been used for meat to chop veg going into the same dish that will be fully cooked - but I won't put meat on the veg board.
Use by dates are deliberately conservative. With a decent fridge running at 3c I'm yet to have meat a day "out of date" that didn't pass the sniff test - the same test my mum used to use with meat bought from the butchers, not is a plastic pack, without a use by date on it. I've never been ill as a result either.
I do wash my hands with soap and hot water after cutting meat/fish etc. and I dry them with a hand towel not a tea towel. However, I often have to get a fresh tea towel having caught the wife drying her hands in it - I've been trying to stop her from doing it for 20 years without success so it's just easier to change it and throw the one used for hand drying in the wash.
Use by dates are deliberately conservative. With a decent fridge running at 3c I'm yet to have meat a day "out of date" that didn't pass the sniff test - the same test my mum used to use with meat bought from the butchers, not is a plastic pack, without a use by date on it. I've never been ill as a result either.
I do wash my hands with soap and hot water after cutting meat/fish etc. and I dry them with a hand towel not a tea towel. However, I often have to get a fresh tea towel having caught the wife drying her hands in it - I've been trying to stop her from doing it for 20 years without success so it's just easier to change it and throw the one used for hand drying in the wash.
I rarely wash my hands with soap when cooking, I do before I start. I use the same board for all stuff without washing it. I never look at sell by dates just go by look and smell. I often store food outside of the fridge whilst defrosting for a whole day, well in fact most days as most of our meals are batch cooked and frozen. Tonight's meal has been on the worktop since 6am this morning.
I don't create any food waste though. The wife is the same. We cook from scratch for 90% of our meals. We have both reached 60 years old without dying once. In fact i can't remember the last time either of us was ill.
Some people worry too much
I don't create any food waste though. The wife is the same. We cook from scratch for 90% of our meals. We have both reached 60 years old without dying once. In fact i can't remember the last time either of us was ill.
Some people worry too much
Interesting.
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry - not guilty
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry - not guilty (we even use coloured boards correctly!)
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes - tea towel is used more than once, but we have one for drying up, one for drying washed fruit & veg. We do have a hand towel, too.
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures - not guilty, I think. Fridge is 5C, freezer -20C
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout - not guilty. Digital thermometer.
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates - guilty, so as to avoid…..
The creation of food waste - see above. We have a very small food waste bin. It’s never full! We freeze and reuse leftovers.
Using food past the use by date, I thought, was actually a good thing. Dates are usually too short.
Heck, I ate a pack of chicken slices that were months past their use by date, and they were fine.
That’s ultra processed / preserved foods for you!
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry - not guilty
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry - not guilty (we even use coloured boards correctly!)
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes - tea towel is used more than once, but we have one for drying up, one for drying washed fruit & veg. We do have a hand towel, too.
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures - not guilty, I think. Fridge is 5C, freezer -20C
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout - not guilty. Digital thermometer.
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates - guilty, so as to avoid…..
The creation of food waste - see above. We have a very small food waste bin. It’s never full! We freeze and reuse leftovers.
Using food past the use by date, I thought, was actually a good thing. Dates are usually too short.
Heck, I ate a pack of chicken slices that were months past their use by date, and they were fine.
That’s ultra processed / preserved foods for you!
I do all the cooking so...
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry - never.
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry - never, we have a red board for those, black ones for everything else.
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes - never, wouldn't dream of it.
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures - we should be safe, fridge is 5C, freezer -20C
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout - not sure but we're still alive and kicking.
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates - we check dates andsometimes often ignore them.
The creation of food waste - yes (unfortunately). O/H has digestive problems and despite trying, often can't or doesn't want to eat so there are sometimes leftovers that can't be saved/re-heated.
Not washing hands with soap after touching meat, fish and poultry - never.
Reusing a chopping board after preparing meat, fish and poultry - never, we have a red board for those, black ones for everything else.
Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes - never, wouldn't dream of it.
Storing chilled foods at incorrect temperatures - we should be safe, fridge is 5C, freezer -20C
Not reheating leftovers until steaming hot throughout - not sure but we're still alive and kicking.
Not checking use-by dates and consuming foods past use-by dates - we check dates and
The creation of food waste - yes (unfortunately). O/H has digestive problems and despite trying, often can't or doesn't want to eat so there are sometimes leftovers that can't be saved/re-heated.
Having had full blown salmonella as a kid, I am religious about hygiene with raw meat, chicken in particular, and especially before touching things that aren’t washed (salt and pepper grinders, herb jars etc).
It amazes me on programmes like Saturday Kitchen now often pro chefs have to be reminded by the presenter to wash their hands after touching raw meat (admittedly this doesn’t stop me going to restaurants).
It amazes me on programmes like Saturday Kitchen now often pro chefs have to be reminded by the presenter to wash their hands after touching raw meat (admittedly this doesn’t stop me going to restaurants).
Bill said:
What's the issue with drying your hands on a tea towel? If they've been washed and the towel isn't used for wiping surfaces etc I'm struggling to see the problem.
ETA generally I'm good apart from the tea towel conundrum, but I do use the sniff test with use by dates as a guide.
This is my theory about bath towels (much to the annoyance of my wife) - you’re never cleaner than you are straight out of the shower, so in theory you are cleaning the towel by using it to dry yourself ETA generally I'm good apart from the tea towel conundrum, but I do use the sniff test with use by dates as a guide.
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