4 daily cooking habits that could actually make you sick

Food poisoning is a common problem in the United States, causing around 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year. The good news: you can often avoid infections by taking measures to prevent harmful germs from contaminating your food.

Here are four current errors that can increase your risk of food -related disease – and what to do instead.

Major surveillance is not to wash your hands properly – or at all – before and after the preparation of meals, especially when manipulating raw meat or seafood, said Michael Levine, MD, an associate professor of emergency medicine at UCLA Health. This can allow harmful germs to contaminate your food or enter your body if you touch your eyes, nose or mouth afterwards.

Experts recommend that you wash your hands not only before and after working with food, but also after using the toilet and before eating. To do it properly, use soap and water and rub vigorously for at least 20 seconds, paying attention to the areas between your fingers and under your nails.

Another current error? “Do not cook food adequately,” said Levine Health. Consuming insufficient foods such as chicken and meat can be an easy way to contract infections like Salmonella And E. coliwhich was not heated completely enough to be killed.

Levine recommends Use a food thermometer if you cook meat. The American Department of Health and Social Services has a practical graph detailing the internal temperatures recommended for various foods, in particular:

• Chicken, turkey and other poultry: 165 ° F
• Steaks and roasts: 145 ° F
• Minced meat and sausage: 160 ° F

Leaving the leftovers for too long before refrigerating them can also increase your risk of food of food.

The bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply between 40 ° F and 140 ° F, which is why hot foods should be maintained above 140 ° F until it is eating. Once the meal is finished, leaving it too long gives bacteria a chance to develop as food cools.

The basic rule: Refrigerate the remains within two hours and make sure that your refrigerator is set to 40 ° F or below.

A common food security trap is the increase in the risk of cross -contamination in the kitchen, Ahmed Abdelhamid, PHD, deputy professor in food microbiology at Michigan State University, said Health.

Think: using the same cutting board for different foods, or rinsing raw chicken in the sink, where it can easily spread Salmonella to your hands or to surfaces nearby.

To avoid spreading the germs around the kitchen, be sure to:

• Use separate cutting boards for different foods.
• Keep raw poultry or separate meat from other items from your basket, fridge and on your counter.
• Wash the cutting boards and the dishes with hot soapy water.

Food poisoning symptoms can go from light to serious. The most common signs include:

Some people – like young children, the elderly and pregnant women – are more at risk of serious illness.

If you have serious symptoms, such as persistent diarrhea, high fever or frequent vomiting that prevent you from keeping liquids down, it is best to see a doctor.