8 mistakes to avoid according to a virologist

Océane Sorel is a doctor in virology and immunology. On Instagram, this specialist known as “The French Virologist” regularly shares information to avoid the risk of contamination. Océane Sorel would like to draw attention to eight bad habits that are common in the kitchen, which unfortunately lead to the risk of food or parasitic poisoning.

In a kitchen, parasites, viruses and bacteria are present, especially when we do not adopt the right actions. To avoid crossing their path, it is better to apply several principles of hygiene in the kitchen, because food or parasite poisoning can be dangerousespecially for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Despite health advances, infections by bacteria (some producing toxins), viruses or parasites after consuming contaminated food, still affect millions of people around the world every year. In France, 16,000 cases of “foodborne illness” were reported in 2019, according to Anses, the national food, environmental and occupational health safety agency.

Océane Sorel thus emphasizes the importance of maintain a clean and healthy kitchenpaying particular attention to the sink, defrosting, work surfaces and cutting boards, sponges, the refrigerator and our eggs… The shells of which must not be washed! Explanations.

1 – Leave dirty dishes lying around in the sink

To avoid the risk of food poisoning, don’t let dirty dishes pile up in the sinkat the risk of facing a real nest of microbes that could contaminate the food in the kitchen. In just two hours, dirty dishes left alone significantly increase the risk of food poisoning. This is why it is important to wash your cutlery, dishes and plates as soon as possiblewith dishwashing liquid and hot water to effectively eliminate bacteria.

2 – Defrost food in the open air

Many of us defrost our food in the open air, but this practice leads to the proliferation of bacteria. According to Océane Sorel, letting meat thaw for a few hours in the ambient air allows bacteria to spread quickly. The recommended method for safely defrosting food is to place it in the refrigerator.. If you don’t have time, prefer to cook frozen food directly and above all, never put a defrosted food product back in the freezer.

Also read – The shelf life of frozen foods

3 – Leave a dish to cool for more than 2 hours

Food leftovers must also be managed adequately. The immunologist therefore advises do not let a cooked dish cool in the open air for several hours. Prefer to store leftover meals in an airtight container, to place in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. If you cook on Sunday for the entire week, it is also advisable to freeze dishes intended for Thursday and Friday. Finally, leftovers should be consumed within three days maximum of preparationor within 24 hours if they contain raw eggs, in order to avoid the risk of salmonella contamination.

4 – Washing eggs, a bad habit

Do you usually rinse or wash eggs before using or storing them? A gesture that the virologist advises against, because by washing the egg shell, you remove their natural protection against contamination. To store your eggs, it is best to leave them at room temperature in a cupboard. If you prefer to place them in the refrigerator, they will keep longer, if you avoid temperature variations by taking them out and putting them back in the refrigerator several times. Also be careful to always respect the expiration dates.

5 – Do not disinfect work surfaces and cutting boards

Work surfaces and cutting boards are ideal places for bacteria to proliferate. To avoid any risk of contamination, it is important to disinfect these surfaces well. Also keep in mind that “ a contaminated surface can contaminate all surfaces with which it comes into contact », underlines Anses.

Pour clean work surfaces and cutting boards properlystart by removing visible food residue using absorbent paper. Then use hot water, dishwashing liquid, soap or other detergent, depending on your cleaning preferences. Be careful, however, white vinegar has limited antimicrobial action. Even if left in contact with a surface for a long time, white vinegar does not work on all germs. Soap is more effective if it is rinsed well. Océane Sorel recommends using only tested and approved detergents to regularly clean work surfaces and cutting boards, the latter having to be washed after each use.

Also read – 10 everyday objects much dirtier than toilets and yet rarely washed

6 – Use only one cutting board

The virologist also warns against cross contamination that may occur during food preparation in the kitchen. Cutting boards, which accumulate bacteria in the micro-crevices caused on the surface by knives, can become a real source of microbes. To avoid cross-contamination, Océane Sorel recommendsuse two separate cutting boardsone for raw meats and fish and another for vegetables.

7 – Neglecting to clean the sponge

Sponges and other tools used to clean the kitchen are real breeding grounds for germs if we don’t wash or change them regularly. Both Océane Sorel and Anses therefore recommend rinsing them well after each use, sterilizing them in boiling water or washing them with diluted bleach. Be careful though: It is important to note that bleach should never be mixed with an acid (such as descaler) or heatedbecause this can cause the release of toxic chlorine gas, as ANSES points out. In addition, the effectiveness of bactericidal detergents for domestic use (such as disinfectant dishwashing liquid) is not clearly demonstrated. So prefer to choose products that have been tested and approved to eliminate germs.

Recommendations that do not concern sponges dedicated to washing dishes, which must be rinsed with dishwashing liquid and clean water after each use and changed regularly. Reusable sponges should be washed just as regularly, in the washing machine at at least 30°C.

8 – Not organizing your refrigerator well

Finally, for avoid the risks of contamination and food poisoningit is essential to store food properly in the refrigerator. Separate raw foods from cooked foods, putting raw meats and fish on one side, dairy products on the other and finally, vegetables and cooked foods separately from the rest. Certain areas of your fridge, indicated as the freshest, should be used to store the most sensitive foods. It is also important to keep the temperature in the refrigerator below 4°C and clean up any spills immediately. Also thoroughly clean your fridge by emptying it completely, at least once a year.

Advice which, applied together, allows you to fight against the five main bacteria responsible for food poisoning in Francenamely: Campylobacter, Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, Escherichia coli (EHEC) and Listeria monocytogenes.

Article updated