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Avoiding Infectious Diseases In Your Kitchen - 2 Simple Steps
By Mary Johnson
All food naturally contains bacteria. Whether this food is in your kitchen at home, or in a restaurant kitchen, improper handling can easily lead to making you sick when you eat it.
Here in the United States we have some of the strictest laws in the world that regulate what we eat and drink. You would think these laws would protect us from the infectious diseases that trouble less developed countries, and they do. But almost 200,000 people still die every year in the U.S. because of these diseases caused from food born bacteria.
According to public health and food safety experts, each year millions of illnesses in this country can be traced to food borne bacteria. While the likelihood of serious complications is unknown, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that two to three percent of all food borne illnesses lead to secondary long-term illnesses.
Some of the names of the different bacteria might be unfamiliar to you, but the diseases they cause are certainly not. For example, some strains of E.coli can cause kidney failure in young children and infants; Salmonella can lead to reactive arthritis and serious infections; Listeria can cause meningitis and stillbirths; and Campylobacter may be the most common cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
There are 2 easy and inexpensive steps to avoiding these diseases. As simple as it may sound, the first is hand washing. Yes, the basic act of washing your hands can prevent something as harmless as the common cold, as inconvenient as diarrhea, to a condition as serious as meningitis.
Washing your hands should be done whether or not you, or someone close to you, are sick. (But if you are sick it should be done more often!) Of course you should always wash your hands if they are dirty, in addition you should wash them when preparing food, before you eat, after petting or picking up after animals, and after using the bathroom.
For detailed instructions on proper handwashing techniques visit www.fightbac.org They recommend washing hands, utensils and surfaces in hot, soapy water before and after food preparation. They also recommend using paper towels over sponges and cloth towels as paper towels can be discarded after use, which means there is less chance of spreading germs around.
An easy guideline to remember when washing your hands is to wash them for 20 seconds with lots of soapy lather. A study conducted by Utah State University revealed that most people wash
their hands significantly less than 20 seconds, and less than one-third use soap.
Children are less likely than adults to wash their hands. And, since their immune systems are not fully developed they are more susceptible to getting sick from food borne bacteria. Singing "Happy Birthday" is an easy and fun way for children to know when 20 seconds is up and makes handwashing time more like playtime.
More and more public restrooms are being equipped with automatic, "no-touch" paper towel dispensers. These are fantastic new appliances. With these new towel dispensers you do not have to touch any potentially contaminated surface to dispense a paper towel after you have just washed your hands.
These "no-touch" dispensers allow you to get a paper towel with your clean hands without touching anything. A new kitchen accessory that is available now is a similar "no-touch" automatic product is now available for home use. This paper towel dispenser is manufactured from stainless steel to match other appliances in your kitchen, and it uses household-style paper towels - the same ones you are already using.
The second step to avoiding these diseases is cleaning and disinfecting surfaces around your home. Some of the most common places for bacteria to be found are on your food prep areas in the kitchen, and in your bathroom. In most cases cleaning with soap and water is sufficient to remove most dirt and germs. However, in some situations a disinfectant that contains ingredients that will destroy bacteria and other germs should be used.
The kitchen is a common place for food bacteria to be found, primarily because of the food prep areas. Raw food that is prepared on these surfaces, such as chicken, often contains bacteria.
The bacterium from this food then gets on your counter or utensils and is easily transferred to anyone that comes in contact with them. You can just imagine the chain reaction of cross contamination that can occur at this point. Wiping the surface with paper towels that can be thrown away and with disinfectants will greatly decrease the threat of spreading any infectious diseases or germs.
Although the cause is not always recognizable, and may not come from bacteria in the kitchen, almost everyone has had a food-borne illness. According to the C.D.C./National Center for Infectious Diseases "each year food-borne illnesses cause fever, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea in almost 80 million people in the U.S., or about 1 in 3 people."
Most food contains some natural bacteria, and improper handling will give these bacteria a chance to spread. Keep in mind that bacteria infected food is not just found in restaurants, but can just as easily be in YOUR kitchen. Washing your hands and keeping your food prep
surfaces clean and germ free will greatly reduce your chance of food-borne illnesses.
The commercial "no-touch" paper towel dispensers mentioned in this article and the commercial paper towels they use can be purchased through your local industrial/commercial supplier.
The "no-touch" paper towel dispenser for home use mentioned can be purchased from http://www.pointandcut.com The Point and Cut( uses the same paper towel you use now that can be purchased at your local supermarket.
About the Author
Mary C. Johnson co-founded a company that manufactures a hands-free electronic "no-touch" paper towel dispenser for home use. Click here to learn more about this new kitchen accessory:
http://www.pointandcut.com
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/22249.html
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