Keeping the kitchen clean

HYGIENE-CONSCIOUSNESS in the kitchen is vital. In this part of the house where meals are prepared and edible items are stored and tasted, cleanliness and food-safety are a must to prevent serious problems for the family, such as food poisoning.

Most people know how important it is to store food at the right temperatures, cook meat properly and keep work surfaces clean.

However, many kitchen users overlook the matter of transference of bacteria from one item or surface to another by means of their own or others’ hands.

For instance, if you have been working with raw meat just before gripping a pot handle or the handle of a spoon to scoop the meat into the pot, the pot and spoon handles now have raw-meat bacteria on them.

Even if you wash your hands after scooping the meat in, once you grasp the pot or spoon handle again, the bacteria gets back onto the hand you use – which might then go on to touch cooked food or a salad.

Another oft-overlooked matter is the importance of cleaning the outsides and undersides of food storage containers, pots and plates.

Although the external surfaces including lids and handles may be less grease-covered than the insides, they bear traces of food splatters, bacteria and possible contact with pests during the night. — Singapore Straits Times / Asia News Network