The holiday season is around the corner, and this means that the kitchen will likely become a busy place as we prepare meals to gather around. As you prepare tasty dishes to share, be conscious of the possibility of sharing illness too. I found these tips from K-State food scientist, Karen Blakeslee, especially helpful for preventing cross-contamination:

“We use the kitchen sink for food preparation and more,” Blakeslee said. “The possibility exists for foodborne illness-causing bacteria to hang out in the sink too. These bacteria could cross-contaminate your food and make you sick.”  Blakeslee added that a recent USDA study tested surfaces where participants prepared a breakfast meal with raw sausage, shell eggs, and a fruit salad made with cut-up cantaloupe. Test results showed that 34% of the sinks were contaminated after preparing the meal.  

Even more scary, 26% of the samples of cut-up cantaloupe from the fruit salad were contaminated after breakfast prep.   

“The bacteria in the sink or on your hands can cross-contaminate from the sink to other items, including those you normally eat raw. This means you’ll be eating that bacteria too,” Blakeslee said.  

After using your sink to wash or prepare food, clean and sanitize the sink:  

1) Use warm, soapy water to wash the sink. Wipe it clean with paper towels. 

2) Use a sanitizer and let air dry. Sanitizers can be homemade (1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water) or use a commercial sanitizer or sanitizing wipe. 

When the sink is used to clean and sanitize, it’s easy to forget that the sink itself can become contaminated. So, be mindful of your food prep habits to keep you and the entire family healthy this holiday season.

Karissa Winkel is the family and community wellness agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.