News — kitchen hygiene

If you are wondering why chefs use colour coded chopping boards in the UK, the short answer is food safety: using at least 4 different boards (for example red for raw meat, blue for fish, green for vegetables and yellow for cooked foods) can cut cross contamination risk dramatically and help you meet UK Food Standards Agency guidance in a busy kitchen. Why do chefs use colour coded chopping boards in the UK? Professional chefs in the UK use colour coded chopping boards to control bacteria, stay compliant with food hygiene rules and work faster on busy services. Each colour...

No, you shouldn’t use the same chopping board for raw meat and vegetables unless you clean and disinfect it thoroughly every single time. Food safety guidelines in the UK recommend using at least two separate boards to avoid cross contamination, which is why many home cooks keep one board for raw meat and fish and another for vegetables, fruit and cooked food. Why it matters if you use the same chopping board for meat and vegetables Raw meat can carry bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli. If you slice carrots or lettuce on the same board straight after...

If you want to know how to disinfect a plastic chopping board after raw chicken, the safest home method is a 2 step process: first scrub with hot soapy water for at least 30 seconds, then soak or wipe the board with a disinfecting solution of 80 ml household bleach in 1 litre of cold water for 5 minutes before rinsing and air drying upright. Why disinfecting after raw chicken matters Raw chicken can carry bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella. These can transfer to your knife, hands and plastic cutting board, then on to salad, fruit or cooked food....

If you want to know how to clean a wooden chopping board safely, the simplest proven method is to wash it within 2 minutes of use with hot (at least 50°C) soapy water, scrub for 30 seconds, rinse, then air dry upright for at least 4 hours before storing. Done properly, this routine keeps boards like our 45x35cm Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board hygienic for 5 to 10 years of daily use. Why wooden chopping boards stay safe when cleaned correctly Wood and bamboo boards behave differently to plastic. The grain pulls moisture away from the surface, which helps...