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According to research,around 40% of food poisoning cases are caused by poor hygiene in the home. [1] The Global Hygiene Council found that almost half of frequently touched items in the UK, including chopping boards, are contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria, such as E.coli.
Lisa Ackerley, Food Hygiene Expert and Global Hygiene Council representative, comments: “When chopping boards are left for hours without being hygienically cleaned, bacteria can build up and be hard to remove – especially from old chopping boards, which have developed deep cuts and scoring. Bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella, found on raw meats and poultry, may contaminate ready-to-eat foods via chopping boards. Although ideally it is good practice to have separate boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods, in a busy household this may not be manageable. Therefore, make sure that any board used for raw meat, poultry, fish or vegetables is immediately cleaned and disinfected using the dishwasher or an anti-bacterial product such as Dettol Anti-bacterial Cleansing Surface Wipes.”
Chopping board facts:
- Chopping boards have been found to harbour around 200% more faecal bacteria than the average toilet seat. 1
- 89% of kitchen cleaning cloths and towels, which come into contact with surfaces such as chopping boards, have been found to have unsatisfactory levels of contamination. 2
- Since more than 50% of raw chicken has been found to be contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria, which is the most common cause of food poisoning in Britain (more than Salmonella), your chopping board could become contaminated. 1
- E.coli, found on raw meats, poultry and unwashed salads and vegetables, can spread via chopping boards that have not been thoroughly disinfected. 2
Dettol Anti-bacterial Cleansing Surface Wipes (RRP £2.00) kill 99.9% of bacteria and are safe to use on food preparation areas and chopping boards.
Footnotes:
1 www.eatwellscotland.org/healthissues/foodpoisoning/abugslife/index.html
2 www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-and-home-hygiene-facts.aspx
3 www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Food-poisoning/Pages/Causes.aspx
