How to Avoid Cross Contamination

Whether its in your home, at work or at that favorite seafood restaurant you like, cross-contamination is almost everywhere you go. And sometimes we don't even know what's being contaminated with what, because we really don't bear much of a conscience towards this issue. In this article, you will learn how to avoid cross-contamination.

Instructions

• 1

  Some packaged foods offer information about cross-contamination. But for packed foods that don't state cross-contamination information on their labels, your best chance is to call customer service for this type of information. If you can't get a clear answer from the companies, you should contact your doctor to discuss with her whether or not the food your eating is making you have an allergic reaction.

• 2

  Some foods are higher risk for cross-contamination than others, such as chicken or any other type of meat. An allergenic beverage drunk from a can and immediately recycled is far less likely to contaminate safe foods than a piece of crumbly bread or a food that is fried in oil that spatters all over. The most dangerous foods are messy, difficult to clean and likely to leave a trace, like oil or crumbs on surfaces.

• 3

  Be especially aware of cross-contamination in restaurants. It is most likely to occur in the actual cooking of your food. However, cutting boards pose a potential issue because the surfaces of cutting boards are often very porous and can harbor bacteria and other germs easily. Three major ways for cross contamination in restaurants are cooking oils, grills or ranges used to prepare multiple foods and frying pans. Sometimes, you can request grill restaurant foods to be pan-grilled in separate, clean pans. However, this will require communication with the staff, the chef and sometimes the manager. DO NOT eat food that you may be allergic to that has been fried in oil. If you aren't sure what a particular cuisine is made of, ask.

• 4

  Salad bars are very good sources for cross-contamination because utensils could be moved from one food you might be allergic to and into a safe food you're not allergic to. If you are highly allergic to an item on the salad bar, you should by common sense avoid eating from that salad bar. Even if you aren't allergic to anything on the salad bar, cross-contamination can still transfer germs rather than allergens.