Avoid contamination from the kitchen.

The causes of most foodborne illnesses originate from the food itself. However, factors causing contamination at other stages, such as unclean kitchen utensils, the cook's hands, and a dirty kitchen environment, are often overlooked by many homemakers, especially in rural and mountainous areas. The following simple principles can help ensure safe cooking practices.

Wash your hands thoroughly:Hands contain the most bacteria due to work and contact with pathogens: pets, plants, daily cleaning, etc. Therefore, hands should be washed thoroughly before preparing food. Washing hands with soap is best.

Wash the kitchen utensils thoroughly:Kitchen utensils, from dishwashing sponges and chopsticks to sinks, stovetops, knives, cutting boards, bowls, and hand towels, all harbor numerous bacteria. Therefore, the first thing cooks need to do before entering the kitchen is to thoroughly wash all kitchen utensils. Furthermore, many families use only one cutting board and knife to chop both cooked and raw food, significantly increasing the risk of cross-contamination. Avoid using the same utensils for both raw and cooked food. For example, when chopping raw foods like meat, fish, and seafood, wash them thoroughly, let them dry, then rinse them with boiling water before using them to chop cooked food. Similarly, the same applies to sinks and colanders; a sink used for washing meat and fish should not be used for washing vegetables, especially raw fruits and vegetables.

Besides preparing delicious, clean, and hygienic food, washing dishes, chopsticks, and spoons is also extremely important. Leftover food must be scraped off before washing dishes and chopsticks (fresh rice water can be used for washing). Dishes and chopsticks should not be soaked in the sink for too long, as this prevents grease and food odors from being completely washed away, creating conditions for bacteria to multiply. If the dishes are not washed properly afterward, they can easily become contaminated.

Therefore, to avoid infection, ten "golden rules" should be followed: choose fresh, clean food; prepare food using clean water; cook food thoroughly, boil water before drinking, soak and wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating raw; eat food immediately after cooking; do not eat spoiled food; cover and store cooked food carefully; reheat food thoroughly before reheating; keep raw and cooked food separate; do not mix cooking utensils; wash hands before preparing and eating; keep cooking utensils and food preparation areas dry and clean.

According to SKĐS