BEWARE this kitchen bacteria breeding ground (Yuck!)

You disinfect your kitchen countertops…

You keep your plates and utensils spick-and-span…

And you definitely wash your hands after handing raw or uncooked foods.

But here’s the thing when it comes to the cleanliness of ANY kitchen.

You could be the second coming of Mr. Clean… but that won’t stop harmful – and potentially deadly – BACTERIA from setting up shop where you least expect it.

Which is exactly what brings me to this morning’s eAlert.

A new study has identified a potential breeding ground for bacteria – like salmonella – that could be lurking inconspicuously in your kitchen…

Just waiting to spread during your next homecooked meal!

A study published in the Journal of Food Protection says that your SPICE CONTAINERS can pose a greater risk for bacterial cross-contamination than cutting boards and even trash can lids.

YUCK!

Yes, those same spice containers you keep in your pantry, on your countertops, or in a spice rack… (And the same ones you’ll be whipping out for Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks!)

Researchers discovered just how dirty a spice container could be when they conducted a study on meal preparation. They tested kitchen surfaces shortly thereafter to determine “where” bacteria was lurking.

To simulate the movement of pathogens across an active kitchen, study researchers inoculated the raw ground turkey patties with a bacteriophage called “MS2” – which is a virus that infects bacteria, but won’t pose a threat to humans.

After preparing a meal with the turkey patties, study authors then proceeded to swab all the kitchen utensils, cleaning areas, and surfaces of spice containers and sink faucets to determine where MS2 was most abundant.

It turns out that a whopping 48% of the sampled spice containers displayed evidence of MS2 contamination.

Meanwhile, cutting boards and trash can lids came in second and third respectively in terms of overall contamination.

Look, this doesn’t mean YOUR kitchen is filthy… or that your spices are a deadly health hazard.

But it does serve as a friendly reminder the cross-contamination is no laughing matter, and that it can happen even when something appears to be clean.

So, your best bet to beating kitchen bacteria is to wash your hands during meal preparation, keep hard surfaces clean, and even take a disinfecting wipe to smaller containers and lids.

To safe eating,
Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Melore, Chris. “Your spice containers may be contaminated with salmonella and other dangerous bacteria.” https://studyfinds.org/contamination-spice-containers/