Food safety experts name 10 things you should never do in the kitchen

Food can be dangerous to people if it is prepared in violation of certain standards. We also know that it is important to pay attention to expiration dates and keep raw meat away from other foods.

"All of these," writes DailyMail.com, "are well-known golden rules for safe food handling. At the same time, experts working in this field warn that there are many more vital habits that we should follow in the kitchen, but unfortunately we don't."

SSPDaily prepared some useful tips from them that you need to know to avoid ending up in the hospital with food poisoning.

Do not leave food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours

Leaving food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours can put you at risk of infection with microorganisms such as Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.

Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and low blood pressure.

To reduce this risk, experts also recommend defrosting food in the refrigerator instead of on the table or in the kitchen.

Refuse the services of a delivery service

A grocery delivery service is a convenient way to shop if you don't have time to visit a store. However, experts say that this way is associated with certain risks.

If you are not in the store yourself, it will be harder for you to notice signs that the products have gone bad. Moreover, people are not inclined to check the goods received with delivery as they do in the store.

Weigh food before cooking

One of the rules of safe eating states: "Never cook food without knowing how much it weighs."

This is because the time it takes to reach a safe cooking temperature depends on how much the food, especially meat, weighs.

For example, if you cook two differently sized pieces of chicken for the same amount of time, the larger piece is likely to be undercooked.

Nutritionists also recommend using a meat thermometer to determine if a dish is fully cooked, especially large cuts of meat.

"Visual cues are not good enough to determine that meat, poultry, and fish are cooked all the way through, so always use a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the dish to determine if it is done."

Avoid pre-packaged salad bags

According to statistics, over the past few years, packaged salads have been the subject of countless complaints and scandals related to infectious contamination.

These products are made in large processing plants with a large number of staff, which makes it difficult to control safety rules and creates opportunities for contamination with pathogens.

Choose small containers

Storing food in large pots or trays can make it vulnerable to germs.

For example, mashed potatoes and pasta are often refrigerated in the same container in which they were cooked, covered with foil. But this can affect the temperature of the food, as they cool at different rates, making the inner layers vulnerable to bacterial growth.

This also applies to hams, roasts, or large turkeys, which are best cut into small portions and placed in the refrigerator or freezer.

And foods such as chili, soups, and sauces should be stored in shallow dishes so that they can cool evenly.

Change your cutting board and utensils

Using the same knife and cutting board for different foods can lead to cross-contamination.

For example, by cutting vegetables with the same knife you used for chicken, you can introduce salmonella bacteria, which is most often found in chicken meat.

Safe cooking guidelines recommend: cooking different types of food on different cutting boards and not using the same utensils, instead of just washing them.

Please note that if you want to destroy pathogens, wash dishes, utensils, and cooking tools in a dishwasher at a high water temperature.

Throw away leftovers after four days

People often prepare food at the beginning of the week to save themselves the trouble for the next few days.

However, experts say this is wrong, and you can only keep leftovers in the refrigerator for three to four days. After four days, bacteria can start to grow, even if the food is kept cold and in insulated containers.

Another safe option is to freeze food at the beginning of the week, so it will last longer.

Keep dogs out of the kitchen

It is best to keep dogs out of the kitchen while you are cooking.

If you are handling food and, for example, allow your dog to lick your hand, you can contaminate the food with pathogens carried by pets.

For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the most common germs is capnocytophaga. It is safe for dogs and cats, but can lead to blisters, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea in humans.

Important! If your pet does come into the kitchen, do not pet it until you have finished eating and washed your hands.

Never wash meat before cooking

Although people think that rinsing meat can help get rid of some bacteria, it actually only increases the risk of contamination of the sink and countertop.

Another ineffective way to fight bacteria is to soak meat in salt water (brine), which, according to experts, "does not serve food safety purposes."

Use only pasteurized dairy products

Although most products in stores are pasteurized, products from farms and small markets may contain harmful pathogens.

Pasteurization is the sterilization of milk and eggs, which protects them from germs and extends their shelf life.

Dairy products that have not undergone this process can cause diseases such as E. coli and salmonella, which can be deadly for pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.