When cooking with meat it’s important to not only make sure it reaches a certain temperature before consuming, but it’s also crucial to properly disinfect the kitchen after handling the items. Raw meat, poultry, and fish carry numerous diseases that can be detrimental to our health; therefore, following the correct procedures for cleaning surfaces, utensils, and your hands is essential for avoiding cross contamination and illness.
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Steps for Disinfecting the Kitchen After Cooking with Raw Meat or Poultry
- Remove the raw meat from the packaging and place directly on the cutting board using tongs.
- Immediately throw away the packaging to avoid contaminating other surfaces.
- After the meat has been prepared, wash down all the surfaces with hot, soapy water and a clean rag.
- Use a different cutting board to chop or cut remaining ingredients.
- Create a cleaning solution by adding one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.
- Disinfect the cutting board by flooding the surface with the solution and allowing it to sit in the mixture for several minutes.
- Remove from the solution and rinse the board with water and allow to air dry.
- Use clean, hot, soapy water to scrub and disinfect any utensils that handled the raw meat.
- Lastly, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water making sure to get the tops of your hands, underneath your fingernails, and in between your fingers, then dry.