Even the most experienced cook can overlook a simple detail when it comes to utensil hygiene mistakes. You might be surprised at just how easy it is to create a quick and unexpected situation and risk potential contamination of your utensils. Learn from the experience of others with these knife and utensil hygiene mistakes even experienced cooks make.
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Dirty Towels or Sponges Top the List
It’s easy to overlook just how dirty that towel or sponge might be after slaving away in a kitchen all day or night. Overused towels can harbor a small army of growing bacteria. The more you use those dirty towels to wipe or clean your hands or the utensils you use, the greater the potential for cross-contamination.
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Those Used Cutting Boards Might Not Be Safe
To an experienced chef, his or her cutting board is his or her safe harbor. It’s an easy “go-to” when preparing meats, poultry, vegetables or seafood. However, if the cutting board is not routinely cleaned, it, too, can harbor bacteria. This is especially true when it comes to used cutting boards that feature deep cuts. This is where hard-to-reach contaminants can create utensil hygiene mistakes and possible cross-contamination issues.
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Don’t Neglect Those Wooden Utensils
A wooden utensil is very handy in the kitchen when preparing a meal. However, they can also be problematic if you’re not careful. This is because moisture can become trapped in the wood or, more specifically, in cracked spaces on the surface of the utensil. This leads to bacteria and other contaminants that you might not even see or know to clean. Be sure to always clean and then properly dry out those wooden utensils before using again.
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Get Rid of Damaged Plastic Utensils
Like wood, plastic utensils that are warped, damaged or cracked can also host a small army of bacteria. If you continue to use these utensils you run the risk of cross-contamination. Keeping plastic utensils and cookware past their useful life is another utensil hygiene mistake that can be easily avoided or prevented.
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Don’t Comingle Utensils
Sharing utensils between ready-to-eat food and the raw food that was used to get there is another common utensil hygiene mistake even the most experienced food handlers make. While it’s easier to use the same set of utensils across the entire cooking process, this is not recommended if your goal is to avoid cross contamination.
Are you ready to learn more about proper food handling? Is it time to acquire or renew your food handling certificate? Here at ACA, we can show you how to quickly and affordably get or renew your certificate today. All you need is an internet-ready device, the course fees and the time to complete the course.
