Please tell me I'm not the only one

[charla]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this. Hopefully it is.

I have this thing about cross contamination with meat. I try to be really careful to wash my hands, utensils, cutting boards, counters, etc. very well after coming into contact with raw meat. I'm finding that I'm seemingly in the minority on this thing. I don't know anyone else in real life who is as careful as I am. Am I just nuts? Or are some of you just like me?

[KatieMae]

You're not alone. I'm very particular about that kind of thing :yes2

I always cook meats thoroughly, so I'm not concerned about it when we eat it, but I usually buy in bulk & re-package to freeze it & THAT is when I'm super-careful about what touches the meat, or what those things touch after they touch the meat. If possible, I try to put things directly into the dishwasher so they don't even touch the counter or the sink. And I have hot water running to wash my hands & dry w/ a paper towel.

But you're right. I think there are a LOT of people who aren't careful with food safety.

Another big one to me is leaving food on the counter too long after a meal. It *must* get put away within a certain time or I don't keep the leftovers :shrug You know, it's only "overly careful" until I don't do it once & we all get sick. Rather safe than sorry in this case.

[MarynMunchkins]

I'm pretty particular about it. When dh and I got married, he was in food service and it's very big to him.

I'm not quite as bad as my bil who insists that everything that touches raw meat be sprayed with bleach afterwards. :no

[charla]

:phew Glad I'm not crazy.

I'm particular about getting food put away, too. I also try to put my stuff directly in the dishwasher without touching the counter or sink. :giggle I haven't used bleach, but I do use disinfecting wipes on the counter and vinegar in the sink.

I'll have to say that holidays are my nightmare when food is left out for a long time and then re-served later that day. I just can't eat it. :sick

So why aren't people as careful as we are?

[KatieMae]

I'll have to say that holidays are my nightmare when food is left out for a long time and then re-served later that day. I just can't eat it. :sick

So why aren't people as careful as we are?


:yes to the holiday thing - though I figure if I microwave it long enough it would kill anything living :sick I just have to wait an hour until it cools down enough to eat it :shifty

Why aren't people careful? It's either 1) They are oblivious to the dangers, or 2) It's a calculated risk & they don't think it's likely enough to bother with the extra steps or special attention. Both of those are sad, IMO. With all the salmonella illness lately - from whatever the source - we should be aware that food-borne illness IS common and usually preventable. And just b/c something is already processed does NOT mean it's safe :no2

[charla]

:yes to the holiday thing - though I figure if I microwave it long enough it would kill anything living :sick I just have to wait an hour until it cools down enough to eat it :shifty


:laughtears

[Raspberries]

I feel that way about meat AND eggs. I cringe when people eat cookie dough. We look like we're going into surgery when we prepare meat and have to touch it. If DH is home he'll turn on the hot water for me and pour soap in my hands :lol. When I prepare a whole chicken, I wear gloves. I try to use some other utensil to transfer meat. Then when cooking it on a pan I change utensils part way through once the sides start to cook.

[charla]

So here are a couple of my theories on why people are not careful:

1. It takes too much effort and time
2. They've always done it that way and have never gotten sick.

I just know if I slacked one time I'd be the one in bathroom being :sick. Okay, so maybe that's a little neurotic. :shifty



Thanks for reminding me: no one in my house eats raw eggs either.

[Raspberries]

I have issues with throwing up in general. Like serious anxiety about it. So that plays into why I'm careful. Also, my Dad used to cook at the Disneyland Hotel and drilled in sanitary cooking conditions to me as I grew up.

[RiverRock]

I'm pretty careful, too. I'm also creeped out by washclothes and change them 2 or more times a day, depending on what I'm doing in the kitchen.

[KatieMae]

I saw a show on Oprah - so it must have been about four years ago, I haven't watched her in a LONG time - when a microbiologist came on the show & analyzed people's homes to see where they had horrible amounts of bacteria. On that show, the scientist gave recommendations on how often to wash things like washcloths, sponges, towels & bed linens, as well as how often to replace pillows, etc and it was appalling to me b/c I really didn't know how bad they could get. I wasn't really "bad" or anything, but I was changing a washcloth & kitchen towel once/wk and now I do it every other day :yes2 I used to wash sheets monthly but now I do it weekly, things like that.

I suppose you just keep to the standards that you're raised with, until you learn otherwise :shrug

[charla]

I have issues with throwing up in general. Like serious anxiety about it. So that plays into why I'm careful. Also, my Dad used to cook at the Disneyland Hotel and drilled in sanitary cooking conditions to me as I grew up.


I avoid throwing up at all costs.

[Raspberries]

I have issues with throwing up in general. Like serious anxiety about it. So that plays into why I'm careful. Also, my Dad used to cook at the Disneyland Hotel and drilled in sanitary cooking conditions to me as I grew up.


I avoid throwing up at all costs.
:yes2 I hate how weird I am about it too. OT- my DH threw up the other day and it consumed my thoughts for the two days following. I didn't even want to eat. I was constantly evaluating how I felt. I've got issues. :sick

[charla]

I have issues with throwing up in general. Like serious anxiety about it. So that plays into why I'm careful. Also, my Dad used to cook at the Disneyland Hotel and drilled in sanitary cooking conditions to me as I grew up.


I avoid throwing up at all costs.
:yes2 I hate how weird I am about it too. OT- my DH threw up the other day and it consumed my thoughts for the two days following. I didn't even want to eat. I was constantly evaluating how I felt. I've got issues. :sick


Well, then I guess I do, too, or maybe worse since I stew about people not in my household who are throwing up. For instance, I hate going to the doctor or ER because I'm worried what I'll see or hear in that regard. Or almost each week during the kids' ministry I'll think at least one time that I hope nobody throws up.

[Rabbit]

I saw a show on Oprah - so it must have been about four years ago, I haven't watched her in a LONG time - when a microbiologist came on the show & analyzed people's homes to see where they had horrible amounts of bacteria. On that show, the scientist gave recommendations on how often to wash things like washcloths, sponges, towels & bed linens, as well as how often to replace pillows, etc and it was appalling to me b/c I really didn't know how bad they could get. I wasn't really "bad" or anything, but I was changing a washcloth & kitchen towel once/wk and now I do it every other day :yes2 I used to wash sheets monthly but now I do it weekly, things like that.

I suppose you just keep to the standards that you're raised with, until you learn otherwise :shrug


I am super super careful with meat and raw eggs. And my husband learned to cook in food service. It is the only germ thing we're hyper vigilant about.

But this Oprah thing, it bothers me. They test for bacteria, but not -which- bacteria. Yes, your home is coated in germs. Absolutely coated. And praise God for that! We are symbiotic creatures, absolutely dependent for our lives on the bacteria that flourish in our bodies. Our entire world is completely dependent on germs. Sanitizing the life out of a house isn't healthy. Reducing the load of dangerous bacteria, and keeping everything in a nice balance is a better goal. I do change the dishrag with every load of dishes, and the hand towel in the kitchen at least once a day. Towels get used only twice if they don't get the opportunity to get back to bone dry. Sheets I try to wash once a week. But I do not live in bleach, and I don't wash on sterile settings.

[Raspberries]

I have issues with throwing up in general. Like serious anxiety about it. So that plays into why I'm careful. Also, my Dad used to cook at the Disneyland Hotel and drilled in sanitary cooking conditions to me as I grew up.


I avoid throwing up at all costs.
:yes2 I hate how weird I am about it too. OT- my DH threw up the other day and it consumed my thoughts for the two days following. I didn't even want to eat. I was constantly evaluating how I felt. I've got issues. :sick


Well, then I guess I do, too, or maybe worse since I stew about people not in my household who are throwing up. For instance, I hate going to the doctor or ER because I'm worried what I'll see or hear in that regard. Or almost each week during the kids' ministry I'll think at least one time that I hope nobody throws up.

I'm the SAME way. I get seriously stressed out. If someone I have been around tells me they are sick, my mind goes into overdrive. I've literally cried about it. I've been this way since I was a little girl.

[charla]

Jessie, we are of kindred minds. :hug

[MarynMunchkins]

I actually don't worry about eggs because I usually buy them from the farmer and use the dozen within a week. Lots of place don't even refrigerate their eggs. ;)

[charla]

But this Oprah thing, it bothers me. They test for bacteria, but not -which- bacteria. Yes, your home is coated in germs. Absolutely coated. And praise God for that! We are symbiotic creatures, absolutely dependent for our lives on the bacteria that flourish in our bodies. Our entire world is completely dependent on germs. Sanitizing the life out of a house isn't healthy. Reducing the load of dangerous bacteria, and keeping everything in a nice balance is a better goal. I do change the dishrag with every load of dishes, and the hand towel in the kitchen at least once a day. Towels get used only twice if they don't get the opportunity to get back to bone dry. Sheets I try to wash once a week. But I do not live in bleach, and I don't wash on sterile settings.


I hadn't thought of this. So how does one keep germs in balance? This is probably hard for me to understand because I've always seen germs/bacteria as the enemy.

[MarynMunchkins]

I think balance comes in when you clean, but don't sterilize. :)

[charla]

Sterilize meaning?

[MarynMunchkins]

Use bleach on every surface (I do use vinegar/peroxide for raw meat surfaces), wash everything on hot, dust constantly, vacuum twice a day - the OCD stuff that I tend to fight. :giggle

[Rabbit]

Sterilize meaning?


Sterilizing is when you leave whatever you just cleaned dead and barren. It takes high heat or special cleaners, like bleach, for soaking.

Just plain cleaning substantially reduces the level of life on whatever, and clears it of dirt, debris, grease, etc. (Washing your hands with plain soap and water almost completely sterilizes them, but not quite.)

I sterilize cutting boards and knives, and counter tops exposed to meat. I wipe down anything else with a clean rag, soap and water.

[charla]

I was afraid I was tending toward more sterilizing, but from the descriptions I guess I'm not. I tend to use water and soap or just plain water to clean with. And I clean surfaces that meat touches either with really hot water and soap, disinfecting wipes or vinegar. Makes me feel a little better that I'm not as paranoid of germs as I thought. :giggle

[jewelmcjem]

I am only really careful about chicken. My mother worked in hospital food service, and we worked together in a restaurant -- on the counter where we cut up chicken we would wash w/soapy water at the end of the night, cover the countertop with a layer of paper towels, and then pour bleach on them to disinfect the counter! I'm not that bad at home, but the overkill on disinfecting at least where chicken is concerned always stuck with me!

[Marielle]

I'm also very particular about meat. I'm not at all finicky about touching/handling meat but I am super vigilant about cross contamination. I work out recipe steps so that I have to do the meat handling at a moment when the fresh veggies have been chopped and I wash my hands right after. I also use peroxide/vinegar to clean the counters and definitely don't handle anything with meat touched hands. Hubby has come on board with my encourage (aka nagging) over the years.

[Drew]

I am only really careful about chicken. My mother worked in hospital food service, and we worked together in a restaurant -- on the counter where we cut up chicken we would wash w/soapy water at the end of the night, cover the countertop with a layer of paper towels, and then pour bleach on them to disinfect the counter! I'm not that bad at home, but the overkill on disinfecting at least where chicken is concerned always stuck with me!


Chicken is the biggie for me too. I take reasonable measures with other meats but chicken (all poultry really) makes me super vigilant. I don't worry about eggs at all. A world where I can't eat cookie dough is a world I don't want to live it. :giggle Incidentally I've only gotten food poison once (and not from my cooking or raw eggs) so maybe that's why I'm not more worried?

[Mother of Sons]

I am and get teased like crazy for it. I watched my step dad mix hamburger meat with bare hands, then go to the fridge and cupboards to get other ingredients, mix them into the meat and put them back, all without washing (at best a few times he dipped his hands into dirty dishwater and wiped them on a towel on ocassion) then he with same nasty hands, chopped an onion and put it in the potato salad. :puke2

Needless to say, I did not eat.

[Raspberries]

:sick :sick :sick :sick

No way! It just doesn't make sense to me. I mean, people are aware that meat can contain some nasty stuff right? :jawdrop

[Rabbit]

I am and get teased like crazy for it. I watched my step dad mix hamburger meat with bare hands, then go to the fridge and cupboards to get other ingredients, mix them into the meat and put them back, all without washing (at best a few times he dipped his hands into dirty dishwater and wiped them on a towel on ocassion) then he with same nasty hands, chopped an onion and put it in the potato salad. :puke2

Needless to say, I did not eat.


Handling raw meat, in particular chicken, trips my OCD so badly, that I will get stuck washing my hands over and over and over and over again. Mostly when making recipes like that, where I have to touch the meat more than once. It means Josh helps me cook every night, if we're going to have anything more complicated than chicken dumped in a casserole, with a sauce poured over it.

[Singingmom]

:raise Count me in! I have a few in laws who will handle raw meat, rinse their hands (not wash) and wipe on their multi-purpose towel. Or just wipe. :sick When I am cooking with them in their kitchens or mine, I feel this pressure in my chest and start to panic just a bit! I cannot stand it! And I can't say anything because it damages those relationships... they get the idea that I think I'm better than them. It boggles my mind that everyone doesn't get sick every time, but that doesn't relieve me for the next time. It's nice to be in good company. :grouphug

[KatieMae]

Just wanted to add that I'm careful about meat but I totally eat cookie dough. Sorry :O :jawdrop :giggle

[Raspberries]

Just wanted to add that I'm careful about meat but I totally eat cookie dough. Sorry :O :jawdrop :giggle



Ahhhhh! The raw eggs! *shudder*

[charla]

I am and get teased like crazy for it. I watched my step dad mix hamburger meat with bare hands, then go to the fridge and cupboards to get other ingredients, mix them into the meat and put them back, all without washing (at best a few times he dipped his hands into dirty dishwater and wiped them on a towel on ocassion) then he with same nasty hands, chopped an onion and put it in the potato salad. :puke2

Needless to say, I did not eat.


This would be my worst nightmare coming to pass. Do you know how much cleaning up I'd have to do if this occured in my kitchen? I would be so much better off if I just don't know.

[Heather Micaela]

Use bleach on every surface (I do use vinegar/peroxide for raw meat surfaces), wash everything on hot, dust constantly, vacuum twice a day - the OCD stuff that I tend to fight. :giggle

Am I less OCD if I use vinegar instead? :shifty

Funny thing is that meat contamination thoughts skeeve me out so bad that I hate handling raw meat at all. And same with raw eggs. But I dont freak when the baby eats food off the floor.

I am strange