Cooking is a piece of cake — unless you don’t know how to handle food safely.
An estimated one in six Americans falls ill from food poisoning each year, sending 128,000 people to the hospital and killing 3,000 more, according to the CDC.
These types of illnesses typically can be avoided by following proper food safety and handling guidelines. Here, The Post presents seven of the most common, yet dangerous, missteps in your daily cooking routines that could turn your food coma into a real one.
1. Not washing your hands
Hand washing is the cardinal rule of cooking — yet people forget to follow it.
Hand washing “cuts down the spread of bacteria,” Dr. Robert Gravani, a professor emeritus of food science at Cornell University, recently told the “Today” show — especially if people have just used the restroom or changed a diaper.
Per the CDC, germs from unwashed hands can transfer onto surfaces, people or, even worse, onto your food.
The expert-recommended way to scrub your hands is to wash with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds — and don’t forget to wash them again after handling raw meat. Touching surfaces, and even your favorite seasonings, can spread bacteria from the meat and cause illness.
“When you’re preparing raw foods or meat, oftentimes you’re going to reach for the container of spices and sprinkle it on,” Gravani explained, noting “those spice containers can get cross-contaminated from the raw meat you just touched.”
2. Rinsing poultry in the sink
This is the one time you don’t want to wash something you’ll be cooking.
While rinsing fruits and vegetables is always a good idea — as they can carry harmful germs like Listeria, E. Coli and Salmonella — skip rinsing off raw meat. The spray of the faucet could spread dangerous bacteria around the kitchen.
“Washing your chicken does not remove any pathogenic bacteria, and you could be contaminating your kitchen and any food that is left out on the countertop,” James Rogers, Consumer Reports director of food safety research and testing, declared in a TikTok.
Luckily, the bacteria found on raw meat, like campylobacter, clostridium perfringens and salmonella, is killed in the oven — as long as it’s cooked all the way (165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry and fowl).
3. Using the same utensils when handling raw and cooked meat
Using the same cooking utensils to handle meat when it’s raw and again when it’s cooked can be harmful to your health, Gravani informed.
So when you’re preparing grandma’s famous bolognese, switch your spoon when it’s nearly cooked to avoid contamination.
4. Not using a meat thermometer
The naked eye can only see so much — especially when it comes to meat.
“Research has shown you cannot tell whether a food is thoroughly cooked by just looking at its color or texture,” Gravani emphasized.
Instead, reach for a meat thermometer — after washing your hands — to determine if the food is really “done.” Beef, fish and shellfish should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Forgetting to store leftovers within two hours
Don’t let your meal get cold — at least not on the kitchen counter.
Food that’s been left out for more than two hours must be tossed, otherwise disease-causing bacteria can begin to flourish.
“People tend to leave foods out for long periods of time, especially around the holidays,” Gravani disclosed. “We want to be sure we get perishable foods and leftovers into the fridge within two hours.”
But be warned, leftovers left in the fridge for more than four days can be dangerous to eat. Just last year, a 19-year-old university student reportedly developed sepsis, and had his legs and fingers amputated, after consuming contaminated leftovers.
Tasting and smelling to determine if food is still “good” won’t do you any good, the CDC says. Be sure to adhere to recommended food storage times to avoid illness.
6. Thawing meat on the counter
Marinating or thawing meat on the counter is also a big no-no. Experts say germs can multiply quickly at room temperature, making the raw meat a breeding ground for disease-causing bacteria. Instead, throw it in the fridge, or microwave it if you’re in a rush.
Dubbed the “temperature danger zone,” food should not be stored between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit — a.k.a. room temperature.
7. Eating certain foods when you’re at high risk
High risk does not equal high reward when it comes to food consumption.
People with weakened immune systems; children under the age of 5; pregnant people; and those over the age of 65 are especially at risk of falling ill from food-borne diseases, the CDC states.
Gravani advises thinking twice before ordering eggs over easy or a medium-rare steak. “These products could be contaminated, although most of them are not,” he assured.
“We want to be sure those folks think about what they’re consuming, so they don’t open themselves up to the possibility of illness,” he added.
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2023-01-21 14:21:00Z
CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vbnlwb3N0LmNvbS8yMDIzLzAxLzIxL2ltLWEtZm9vZC1zY2llbnRpc3QteW91cmUtbWFraW5nLXRoZXNlLTctZGFuZ2Vyb3VzLWNvb2tpbmctbWlzdGFrZXMv0gFmaHR0cHM6Ly9ueXBvc3QuY29tLzIwMjMvMDEvMjEvaW0tYS1mb29kLXNjaWVudGlzdC15b3VyZS1tYWtpbmctdGhlc2UtNy1kYW5nZXJvdXMtY29va2luZy1taXN0YWtlcy9hbXAv
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