Raw meat in washing up water

We've been having a bit of a debate - my approach to washing up is to get hot, clean, soapy water and then to wash cutlery, plates, bowls and glasses first, before moving on to crockery and finally anything that was contaminated with raw meat. This way, there is no risk of the raw meat juices contaminating stuff like drinking glasses.

My wife says that this is nonsense and OCD - she will quite happily use my washing up water to wash her raw meat hands in before I've had the chance to wash plates and glasses etc. Her view is: -It's hot and soapy - anything bad will die -She is still alive despite doing this her whole life.

I've explained that it's possible to get ill without dying, but as you can imagine, this did not help matters!

So - over to you guys - am I going over the top with my approach to food hygiene?

food-safety

Best Answer

You have a sensible approach, and for the right reasons. Food-borne illnesses don't die at the temperature your sink is at, to kill them you'd need water so hot you'd burn yourself, and even anti-bacterial soap would not be good enough to make the water safe. If you chlorinated the water it would be a different story but that's overkill when simply doing things in the right order will keep you healthy.

I use the same approach as you most of the time, although sometimes I clean off my cutting boards first and then rinse out the sink before filling it. Either way I'm not letting raw meat float around in the same water I'm using to clean the dishes I eat off of.

You're right and your wife is wrong - tell her that, she'll like that.

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Quick Answer about "Raw meat in washing up water"

Never use soaps or detergents on your meat or poultry products. They can contaminate your food with chemicals and make it unsafe to eat. Some consumers may wash or rinse their raw meat or poultry because it's a habit or because a family member they trust has always washed their meat.

Is soap and water enough for raw meat?

Both food safety experts we spoke with agreed that the only way to truly sanitize your dishes when hand washing is to soak them in hot water, or a diluted bleach solution\u2014especially when working with raw meat.

Is it safe to wash meat in the sink?

Whether you're making beef, poultry, fish or pork, you may be tempted to give it a good rinse in the sink before you cook it. But rinsing your meat won't kill pathogens or bacteria. In fact, it will just spread them around. Rinsing your meat introduces harmful germs to your sink and faucet.

How do you wash dishes with raw meat?

Use hot, soapy water to thoroughly wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or flour.

Why should you not soak meat in water?

Salt water soaks for meat are also unnecessary \u201cThis is a personal preference and serves no purpose for food safety,\u201d the USDA says. Keep the meat or poultry in the refrigerator if you choose to do this, and be careful to prevent cross-contamination when soaking and removing the meat from the water.

Raw Meat Is All I Eat | TRULY

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Craig Adderley, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska