About 9 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks occur in the home, but it’s almost impossible for most people to know where the bacteria may live.
A new study finds cloth towels and sink faucets are commonly cross-contaminated during the preparation of a meal.
Kansas State University researchers analyzed the food prep practices of 123 people.
They found high levels of cross-contamination in cloth towels.
Researchers observed many people using a contaminated towel, washing their hands, and then contaminating themselves all over again.
In fact, other researchers found salmonella growing on cloths stored overnight, even after they were washed and rinsed in THE SINK.
That’s why Kansas State’s researchers recommend using paper towels when preparing food and discarding them after each use.
82 Percent of participants also left contamination on the sink faucet, refrigerator, oven, and trash container.
If you use a cell phone or tablet for recipes, be careful- both can potentially be cross-contaminated when you’re handling meat and poultry.
Complete findings for the study “consumer food handling practices lead to cross-contamination,” can be found in the journal “food protection trends.”
