Now we all know the basic dos and don'ts in the kitchen, but there could be some habits you never realised could be putting your health at risk.
It’s second nature for many of us to prop up a phone or tablet on the counter while following a recipe, scroll social media as dinner simmers or answer messages between chopping and stirring as we cook.
The Food Standards Agency has now issued a warning about using phones, tablets or any devices in the kitchen whilst cooking, as it could be leading to germs and even illness spreading.
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Sharing the warning on social media, the FSA wrote: "To prevent cross-contamination and illnesses like food poisoning, wash your hands before and after using devices to stop bacteria from spreading.
"You can also regularly disinfect your phone or device with antibacterial wipes, or something similar."
Mobile phones are among the most frequently handled items in daily life, often carried from public transport to work, bathrooms, gyms and shops. Bringing them into food preparation areas without cleaning creates the perfect opportunity for harmful bacteria to transfer onto food, utensils or surfaces, and with that could come issues including food poisoning.
Cross-contamination is one of the leading causes of food poisoning, and often it happens when bacteria moves from raw foods to cooked dishes, or from dirty hands and surfaces onto items ready to eat.
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Whilst phones and tablets aren’t usually considered kitchen tools, they can easily be overlooked during cleaning routines - even though they are often being touched as often as knives, chopping boards, or hotspots like fridge and cupboard doors.
The FSA advises setting up devices so that recipes can be followed without repeatedly tapping the screen. Adjusting the screen-time settings is also a handy trick as it means the display won’t go dark halfway through, reducing the need to handle the device while cooking.
On the FSA website there was further guidance, with several practical ways to make kitchens safer:
- Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before preparing, cooking or eating food.
- Clean and disinfect high-touch items such as fridge handles, cupboard doors, and sink taps.
- Regularly wash or replace dishcloths, sponges, and tea towels, ideally using a hot wash cycle.
- Store food properly, wash fruit and vegetables, and avoid washing raw meat, fish or poultry — which can spread bacteria around the kitchen.
- Clean reusable shopping bags and food containers after use.
Smartphones, along with cloths and sponges, are now firmly on the FSA’s list of high-risk kitchen items. Ensuring they are regularly disinfected can dramatically reduce the chances of bacteria lingering where food is being prepared.
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The FSA advised: "It is important to wash or change dish cloths, tea towels, sponges and oven gloves regularly. Dish cloths and tea towels should be washed in the washing machine on a hot cycle. If you wash them, let them dry before you use them again as dirty, damp cloths allow bacteria to breed.
"Remember to disinfect high-touch areas around the kitchen, such as the fridge door, sink tap handles, and cupboard door handles. Smart phones and devices are used often during cooking and in the kitchen so should also be disinfected regularly with antibacterial wipes or similar."
Niamh Spence