10 culinary habits that could cost you your health

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Check to see if you are making these common mistakes when cooking.

1. Taste food to check if it has spoiled

You cannot taste, look, or smell all the harmful bacteria. But even a small amount of spoiled food can cause serious poisoning. If you have the slightest suspicion of the edibility of a product, it is better to throw it away.

2. Put the prepared food on the plate where the raw meat lay

Never allow raw meat and fish to come into contact with other foods. Otherwise, bacteria from them will get on the prepared food, and this can lead to food poisoning.

Always use separate plates, cutting boards and knives for raw and prepared foods.

3. Defrost food directly on the table

Harmful food bacteria multiply very quickly at temperatures between 4 and 60 ° C. This is a dangerous area. Therefore, always defrost meat only in the refrigerator or microwave.

4. Wash raw meat

Better not to wash raw meat. In the process of washing, bacteria are transferred along with the water to the sink, table and other surfaces.

“If there are no visible traces of dirt on a piece of meat, then do not wash it. The product with dust, sawdust, traces of dirty hands is unlikely to get on your table. And the very process of processing carcasses in production and on the market does not imply that the meat can be contaminated. The danger is that under the tap of water bacteria will spread over the entire surface of the sink. This is a direct path to poisoning, as it will easily end up on your plates,”says Alexander Vorontsov, an expert at the Instamart grocery delivery service.

Aleksey Kanevskiy, the brand chef of Smoke BBQ restaurant, has a similar opinion: “Meat that is sold in packaging, for example steaks, should not be washed. Blot it with a towel before cooking to keep the surface dry. Wet meat, when sent to the pan, conflicts with heated oil."

5. Cool food before putting it in the refrigerator

Do not leave food on the table for more than two hours or one hour if the room temperature is above 32 ° C. Pathogenic bacteria multiply very quickly in perishable food at temperatures between 4 ° C and 60 ° C. When traveling and picnicking, put food in your portable refrigerator.

6. Tasting raw dough

Never eat raw eggs of any kind. They may contain Salmonella bacteria or other harmful microorganisms. Including, you cannot eat unbaked dough, even if it is without eggs. In flour, E. coli may be present, provoking food poisoning.

7. Use raw meat marinade with ready meals

Do not leave raw meat or fish to marinate on the table. Put them in the refrigerator. At temperatures between 4 and 60 ° C, harmful microorganisms multiply rapidly.

Never use marinade left over from raw meat with cooked food. If you want to use it as a sauce, boil it.

8. Undercooking meat, fish and eggs

Food is safe only after it has been heated to a high enough temperature. This kills all harmful bacteria. To avoid undercooked or undercooked food, use a kitchen thermometer when cooking.

Don't just rely on sight, smell, or taste to determine if a dish is ready or not.

9. Do not wash your hands

Bacteria live on all surfaces, including hands. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap before cooking. And when you're done, wash them again.

10. Do not change the dishwashing sponges

Sponges and dishcloths are the dirtiest items in the kitchen. Dangerous bacteria accumulate on them. Disinfect them at least every other day and change every week or two.