When it comes to kitchen hygiene, most people focus on towels, trash cans, and cutting boards. However, a recent study by the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reveals that there's another area in the kitchen that's a hotbed for bacteria.
The study, published by Food Safety News, involved nearly 400 participants who were asked to prepare a turkey pie in their own kitchens.
The only requirement was to use basil, pepper, and salt for seasoning. Unbeknownst to the participants, the researchers had added a tracer to the turkey, allowing them to track the spread of bacteria throughout the kitchen.
While countertops, cutting boards, sinks, and knives were found to have a significant amount of bacteria, the most contaminated items turned out to be the spice containers. This means that the greatest risk of food poisoning in the kitchen may not come from the usual suspects, but rather from your spice rack.
The good news is that there's a simple solution: always wash your hands and your spice containers while cooking.
This minimizes the risk of bacterial contamination in both the kitchen and the food you prepare.
