Good food guide How to prepare and cook food safely Studies show
that the kitchen contains the most germs in the home. One found
that the kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than the
bathroom. Germs such as E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella
enter the kitchen on our hands, raw food and through our pets.
They can rapidly spread if we're not careful. If food isn’t
cooked, stored and handled correctly, people can become ill with
food poisoning, colds, flu and other conditions. Our hands are
the main way germs are spread, so it’s important to wash them
thoroughly with soap and warm water before cooking and after
touching raw meat. Raw meat, including poultry, contains harmful
bacteria that can spread easily to anything it touches. This
includes other food, worktops, tables, chopping boards and
knives. “Lots of people think they should wash raw chicken, but
there's no need," says nutrition expert Sam Montel. "Any germs
on it will be killed if you cook it thoroughly. In fact, if you
do wash chicken, y