Anyone who handles food must pay particular attention to hygiene and cleanliness. How to cook cleanly and hygienically.

Bacteria that can lead to food poisoning are usually controlled by heat or cold, i.e. cooking and refrigeration. However, bacteria can easily spread through kitchen utensils, hands and cutting surfaces. This is why it is so important to pay attention to hygiene in the kitchen.

Simple rules for hygienic cooking

1. wash your hands. Hands touch surfaces contaminated with bacteria. It is essential to wash them before preparing food.

2. take off jewellery. It should go without saying, but many people mix dough without removing their rings from their fingers. Microscopic bacteria are deposited in the spaces under the rings and get into the food in this way.

3. clean surfaces. The work surface in the kitchen should be wiped clean after every step of the preparation. Raw meat, eggs and fish are the most common sources of bacteria. These bacteria die during cooking, but if you cut the raw meat first and then the salad without cleaning the surface first, the bacteria get into the raw food.

4. new chopping boards. A good way to prevent the spread of bacteria is to use a clean chopping board for each type of food. Raw meat products are cut on one board, vegetables on another.

5. wash utensils. After use, the kitchen utensils should be cleaned with hot water and washing-up liquid. Simply rinsing under cold water is not sufficient.

6. kitchen towels also harbour many germs. Either use paper towels or wash the kitchen towels frequently in hot water.

7. do not leave used cutlery and crockery standing around, but wash it immediately or put it in the dishwasher. This is particularly important if someone in the household has a cold.

8. disinfect the rinsing sponge. After use, the rinsing sponge should be thoroughly washed out and placed in the microwave for 30 seconds to disinfect.

9 After rinsing meat and poultry, the sink should be disinfected to prevent the possible spread of salmonella and E. coli.

10. after cooking, wipe down all used appliances such as the hob, oven or microwave.

11. regularly clean out the fridge once a week and dispose of expired food.