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Even the Cleanest Kitchens Harbor Bacteria
A new study has been released that reveals that nearly half of all kitchen sinks harbor high levels of bacteria that could be dangerous. The study goes on to say that the kitchen sink hosts more germs than the bathroom sink, the refrigerator door handle or even toys that toddlers chew on. Even though more than 90 per cent of US respondents claim to clean their kitchen surfaces at least twice a week 25 per cent of kitchens analyzed failed the hygiene test for having heavily contaminated levels of bacteria. This suggests that the actual method of cleaning kitchens is a problem. An area to be particularly aware of is cleaning and disinfecting kitchen sinks after washing off fruits and vegetables to avoid cross contamination. This comes after a recent outbreak of Salmonella which has been linked to tomatoes. Not surprisingly a particularly high proportion of kitchen washcloths and sponges examined contain dangerous levels of disease causing bacteria. In the US this level was a staggering 90 per cent of those examined. Even when examining the cloths of people who claim to change their cloth or sponge once a week around 80 per cent still had high levels of bacteria on them. Cloths that appeared new or clean still failed the test at a rate of about 25 per cent. The types of bacteria found in these cases included E. coli and Salmonella. The US level of dirty cloths (at 90 per cent) was the ‘cleanest’ as a nation in the world. The figures get worse as you head to Germany, the UK and Saudi Arabia. The Hygiene Council has the following hygiene routine recommendations for families to follow: - Surface Disinfection : Wiping down surfaces with regular kitchen cleaner, water or a plain dry cloth or sponge does not kill germs. Surfaces and handles should regularly be sprayed down with disinfectant. To avoid cross contamination clean kitchen surfaces with a disinfectant product before and after surfaces have been in contact with foods such as meat and poultry. - Hand Washing : You should wash your hands regularly, particularly after going to the bathroom, before and after preparing food, after changing a diaper, after touching animals and pets and if someone in the household is ill. - Proper Food Handling : Food must be cooked and stored at the correct temperature. Raw meat and fresh produce should be separated from packaged goods in your grocery bag and refrigerator. Food preparation surfaces should be disinfected regularly to prevent cross contamination. |
IS Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
| The Hygiene Council
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May, 2012
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