Avoiding Cross Contamination at Home

Cross contamination occurs when bacteria are transferred from a contaminated food or surface such as a chopping board and utensils to other food.  Follow these tips to avoid cross contamination in the home kitchen:

• Wash your hands before preparing food and between preparing raw meats and ready to eat foods such as salads, vegetables, rice, past and fruit.
• Chopping boards, plates, knives, blenders, mixers, bowls, benchtops that has been in contact with raw meats, poultry and seafood should be washed with warm water and detergent, then rinsed and dried before being used for ready to eat foods.
• Prepare raw meats, poultry and seafood separately from other foods such as salads and vegetables.
• Use paper towel to clean up raw meat and poultry juices or egg.  Don’t contaminate the dish cloth that you use to clean other surfaces.
• Use different chopping boards for raw meat, poultry and seafood and ready to eat foods.
• Make sure your chopping boards are kept in good condition – replace if they are becoming worn, damaged and too hard to keep clean.