Gelisim News

If the cutting board is not cleaned properly, it can cause Salmonella and Coli bacteria!

One of the most used tools in the kitchen is undoubtedly cutting boards. The issue of how this kitchen tool, which has many types such as glass, plastic, polyethylene and wooden cutting boards, is cleaned, particularly when used in restaurants, leaves a question mark in mind. The samples were taken from the cutting boards in the kitchens of 20 artisan restaurants by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Dogan and Res. Asst. Ayse Seray Cetin from the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Istanbul Gelisim University revealed surprising results. Making evaluations on the subject, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Dogan stated that if the cutting board is not cleaned well, it may cause Salmonella and Coli bacteria.

Separate cutting boards should be used for each food group

Food goes through many processes from the place of production to the table. In order to obtain safe and healthy food, the personnel working in food production areas should receive adequate training on issues such as general hygiene, sanitation, personal hygiene and cleanliness, and environmental cleanliness. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Dogan from Istanbul Gelisim University Fine Arts Faculty Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department stated the following:

“Problems that occur during improper processing of raw materials, especially microorganisms in the environment and poor hygiene conditions in food businesses, can cause food safety and serious health problems.  We conducted a study on cutting boards that are in direct contact with food in 20 artisan restaurants operating in various parts of Istanbul. The detection of microorganisms that can cause food poisoning and even infections in samples taken from cutting boards suggest that these food production sites may pose a potential food safety risk in terms of public health. Moreover, poorly cleaned hands, chopping board surfaces and knives, pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli can also develop in food and infect people.”

Res. Asst. Ayse Seray Cetin emphasized that hygiene rules should not be ignored. Çetin said, “Microorganisms use food as a tool to pass on to humans. In addition, the consumption of foods such as salad, which is eaten raw without heat treatment, can lead to food poisoning and infections due to the contamination of the factors in question. There are a few rules to be made to prevent the contamination of a harmful factor in food with other foods with hands, tools and equipment. One of them is choosing a chopping board according to the material to be used.” Cutting board colors should be as follows:

Red:  Raw red meat,
Yellow: Raw poultry meat,
Green: Raw vegetables and fruits,
Blue: Raw seafood,
White: Milk and dairy products,
Brown: Baked products