Chicken prep & food safety


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rick Moore

TVWBB Super Fan
I have a couple questions for you all since I just fried up some good ol' southern fried chicken last night after watching the Alton Brown show I downloaded...and have since watched Chris' video on butterflying a whole chicken. And it mainly revolves around chicken prep.

First - does everyone really use the "raw zone" and "cooked zone" in food prep? Maybe I have just been lucky, but I usually prep in 1 area, clean it, and then cook from that same basic area - my kitchen just isn't that big! Unfortunately...

Second - does anyone use gloves when handling raw chicken? In both Chris and Alton's video's, they used gloves. Now I wash my hands many times while handling raw chicken, but never thought about using gloves.

As I continue to prepare meals for more and more people (not catering, just friends - and that pile has grown since I have had the WSM!) I want to ensure that I am being cautious enough in the areas of food prep so that nobody gets sick. As Alton said, I don't want anyone to count the tiles in their bathroom 3 times, in 1 sitting...especially because of my cooking!

Thanks!
 
Rick,
I just don't have the space to have zones, maybe one day ... 'til then I'll be a fanatic washer of hands and gear.

better go wash my hands


morganism
 
Great question. I've been wondering about the same thing. I just went out and bought some gloves for the contest I'm entering. I too don't have separate areas at home and never have had problems.

Interested in what the experts have to say too....

icon_confused.gif


MikeZ
 
My personal opinion is gloves look good for the health dept. But, only for a little while, really.

Ever watch the sandwich maker at Subway put on new gloves, make your sandwich, make your change, and go back to work with the same gloves?

Even in your own kitchen you're gonna get tired of having to remove/replace them over and over. How many times can you remove a "dirty" glove and put it back on, all the while keeping your fingers out of the contaminated area? Nah, wash your hands.
 
At home, I use three cutting boards, all poly. One is for vegetable prep only, one for raw meat prep, and the third for cooked meat carving. All food prep areas-- including the sink-- are cleaned with an antibacterial kitchen cleaning spray. Hands are washed after handling raw meat before any other foods or utensils are touched. All boards, knives, containers and utensils are washed in hot soapy water.

At my Subway, one person takes the order, cuts the bread and puts on the meat and cheese, with gloves. Another applies the toppings and condiments, with gloves. A third handles the cash, and touches no food that is not already packaged.
 
Doug, how long do you let the anti bacterial sit on the poly? I ready somewhere that you need to let it sit for at least 60 secs to do its job, and that wood is actually safer because it's pourous (sp). Have you any knowledge about such subjects?
 
I use the same area of the kitchen, including countertop, but I do wash it pretty thourghly with a good detergent before putting food on it after I've been preping chicken. I also do not have dedicated cutting board. I use the poly type and again scrub them pretty hard.

One thing I have become more aware of is actually scrubbing the kitchen sink after some chicken juice or other raw parts have touched it. I guess I'm lucky I'm still around.

Finally, I don't use gloves.

ok, Doug, I'm not recommending my procedure, just telling what it is.
icon_smile.gif


Paul
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jim Morgan:
I ready somewhere that...wood is actually safer because it's pourous (sp). Have you any knowledge about such subjects? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
A Google search renders many results on this topic. Here's a good one from a UC Davis scientist that's done research on the subject:

Plastic & Wooden Cutting Boards

Regarding gloves, I used them in the chicken video as a way of reminding people about food safety without actually taking the time to talk about it.

When I handle meat before and after barbecuing, I usually wear latex gloves because my hands get all chapped from frequent handwashing. And I don't use gloves twice. I go through several pairs while barbecuing, but they're pretty darn cheap.

Regards,
Chris
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jim Morgan:
Doug, how long do you let the anti bacterial sit on the poly? I ready somewhere that you need to let it sit for at least 60 secs to do its job, and that wood is actually safer because it's pourous (sp). Have you any knowledge about such subjects? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I wash the cutting boards with a dishwashing liquid labelled anti-bacterial and very hot water. The spray is for counter-tops and the sink, and is wiped, but not rinsed off.
 
As Chris said, the gloves were used in the video to remind people about food safety ...

I have to admit, I watched that video and admired Chris' dedication to providing very useful info to people, although I thought, "He's over the top with those gloves."

With respect to Chris' comment in this thread, I have to say that I would have done the same; the importance of due diligence in the handling of food that you are [hopefully] going to be enticing people with repeatedly cannot be understated.

It's probably : one strike ... you're out, I can't say I would willing attend the BBQ of someone that wrecked my astro-intestinal-weekend, could you ?

all the best
morgan
 
Food safety is one of those subjects that everyone knows is important, but we don't always fully appreciate it until there's an incident of food-borne illness that gets a bunch of people seriously sick, or even kills someone.

My feeling is that it's one thing for me to take risks with my own health...another to risk getting other people sick when I cook for them. On the very few occasions that I've cooked for groups of people, I am absolutely fastidious about food safety, use lots of disposable gloves, do lots of handwashing, etc.

Safe cooking,
Chris
 
Hot soapy water will remove all of the chicken juice/fat/etc, and the germs with it. But to be really sure, you can wash your cutting board/counter then spray with a sanitizing solution to be extra safe.

It's easy to fill a spray bottle with a teaspoon of bleach and a quart of water, and keep it handy in the kitchen. The cost is negligble. Just watch out for colored fabrics (like your shirt when you lean against the counter.)

For Ultra Clorox® Regular Bleach

Food Contact Surfaces: refrigerators, freezers, plastic cutting boards, stainless cutlery, dishes, glassware, counter tops, pots and pans, stainless utensils - Use approximately 1 tablespoon of this product per gallon of water to prepare a 200 ppm available chlorine solution; use chlorine test strips to determine exact available chlorine concentration. Wash, wipe, or rinse items with detergent and water, then apply sanitizing solution. Let stand 2 minutes. Air dry.

Wooden cutting boards: Use approximately three tablespoons of this product per gallon of water to prepare a 600 ppm available chlorine solution; use chlorine test strips to determine exact available chlorine concentration. Wash, wipe, or rinse items with detergent and water, then apply sanitizing solution. Let stand 2 minutes. Rinse all surfaces with a solution of 1 tablespoon of this product per gallon of water. Do not rinse or soak equipment overnight.
http://www.laundryandhome.com/usage_sanitizing.shtml
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top