Avoiding food poisoning

The #1 Tool to Avoid Food
Poisoning | Healthy Living
Reader's Digest Magazine
You always knew your
dishwasher was convenient. But
did you also know that it's one
of your best allies in keeping
your kitchen safe from
contaminants? The dishwasher
sanitizes everything that goes in
it, says Bonnie Richmond, senior
lecturer in food safety and
sanitation at the Hotel School at
Cornell University, if you use the
dry cycle. During that cycle, the
internal temperature of the
dishwasher reaches 170°F,
which is required for sanitizing.
(Sanitizing is the process of
reducing harmful microbes to
an acceptable level. Sterilizing is
the process of removing all
living organisms - something
we can't aspire to in our own
homes.)
Here's Richmond's first rule of
thumb: Run anything through
the dishwasher that can go into
it, including plateware,
glassware, flatware, plastic
cutting boards, and sponges.
Anything that touches raw meat
and fish, or their juices or blood,
should be placed in the
dishwasher immediately. That
means if you use a sponge to
wipe up the counter where
meat juices have spilled, you
should toss it right in the
dishwasher and get out a clean
one. At the very least, your
sponges should go into the
dishwasher every time you run
it. Be sure to keep a backup
supply on hand so you are not
tempted to use a dirty one.
PLUS: 8 Places Germs Hide in
Your Home
One thing you can't put through
the dishwasher is your hands.
Always keep a bar of soap or
soap dispenser next to the
kitchen sink. To ensure that you
are not spreading contaminants,
wash your hands thoroughly
whenever you enter the kitchen,
between each kitchen task, and
before you leave the kitchen.