Question

In prepares a meal by grilling the chicken and making a salad. What steps in the preparation of this meal that might result in cross-contamination and increase the likelihood of Salmonella infection. What steps could someone take to take to prevent food-borne illness if the chicken from the store has salmonella?

Answer 1

Cross-contamination may occur when juices from raw meats or germs from unclean objects touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Dirty kitchen clothes, unclean utensils, pests, raw food storage can lead to cross-contamination. Using the same cutting board for Vegetables (for salad preparation) and chicken may cause cross-contamination.

Here are some of the ways to avoid cross-contamination:  

Personal Hygiene- Thoroughly wash your hands and face when handling food. Coughing, sneezing or even touching your hair can lead to cross contamination

Use separate cutting boards and knives. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or s Do NOT quarter a chicken on a cutting board, and then turn around to use the same, unwashed board to slice the jalapeños you plan to stuff later. Use several different cutting boards, or make sure to thoroughly wash your board and knives after each use with hot water and antibacterial soap.

Be careful when washing your chicken in the sink. The splash can spread bacterial strains up to three feet away. Make sure the water is running gently and that all liquid remains in the bottom of the sink. Then, wash your sink with hot water and antibacterial soap when finished

If the chickem from store has Salmonella, above said precations are taken and Chicken must cooked properly.Chicken should be cooked at least 165 degrees F this should be measured with a thermometer. Salmonella is destroyed at cooking temperatures above 150 degrees and if ,Salmonella is present on raw or cooked foods, its growth can be controlled by refrigeration below 40 degrees.