Cooking TipsKitchen Cutting Board Cross - Contamination Solutions
The family chef has worked very hard preparing that culinary masterpiece for loved ones or for guests at a dinner party and it would be a shame if some disaster waits because they forgot some of the basic do"s and don"ts while preparing the feast. There is a simple checklist that a health conscientious person should be aware of while cooking a meal in the kitchen to keep loved ones and guests safe from food borne illnesses. It is not enough to control cross-contamination issues by only being conscientious about keeping meat products away from ready-to-eat products that is only the beginning. Insure that meat products are stored immediately when coming home from the grocery store and never let them sit out at room temperature for long periods of time. It is also essential to clean and disinfect any meat spills or meat splatters right away that occur when preparing meat products to be stored.
Next, the cutting board or chopping block is one of the primary sources of conveying food poisoning. Raw foods like meat, poultry or fish can easily cross-contaminate with other foods prepared on the board cutting surface or even in the same vicinity where the raw foods where prepared. Food poisoning can be a very serious problem. Campylobacter and E-coli can cause diarrhea and digestive tract problems. Salmonella can cause gastroenteritis. Staphylococcus Aureus is a particularly nasty disease that eats away the integrity of the stomach lining, and can cause Pneumonia and Endocarditis. Small traces of allergens can come into contact when preparing other foods on a cutting surface and can cause allergic reactions to those with sensitivities to certain types of foods. Though some food poisoning illnesses can be quite serious the good news is that they can also be avoided.
A clean cutting board is essential in order to ensure the health and safety of your family members and guests. Bacteria can remain on cutting boards even after having been cleaned because during food preparation bacteria can find its way into tiny crevices made by knives and other implements used while cutting and chopping. A quick wash may not remove them all. Instead disinfect your cutting boards by using one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water, covering the surface of the board with the solution, and then let stand in the disinfectant for several minutes. The disinfectant may also be used to disinfect the vicinity where the raw foods were prepared.
The dishwasher is also extremely effective at disinfecting the cutting board but over time the dishwasher may also damage the cutting board by causing it to warp. A warped cutting board may make it difficult or even dangerous to use when preparing food and using sharp knifes on an unsteady surface. Avoid cross-contamination when cutting different types of foods for the same meal by owning several Kitchen Cutting boards - one for meats, one for cheeses, and one for produce. If through washing one board warps over time you still have several on hand and will still be able to curb cross-contamination problems while waiting for your replacement cutting board to arrive.
Tempered Glass cutting boards have many wonderful designs making them a great addition to your kitchen you can even find ones that match your dÓ©cor perfectly. People may shy from glass because knives dull slightly faster. The sharp blade is still there it has simply just started to roll away from the true cutting edge and is something that a proper knife sharpener can solve. Also, tempered glass is almost indestructible, impenetrable, can be scrubbed clean, dried between uses, and keeps its hygiene qualities longer. Tempered Glass cutting boards are very resistant to heat and can double as a hot pad. The hardcore health conscious individual will appreciate that glass cutting boards are very easy to clean in the dishwasher. Cross-contamination issues are not a problem as glass cutting boards have a cut-proof surface so bacteria, stains and odors cannot be harbored as they are in other cutting boards.