Just 3% of Americans properly wash their hands when cooking meat, USDA study finds
The United States of dirty kitchens: Just 3% of Americans properly wash their hands when cooking meat, USDA study finds
- Three thousand people die a year of food poisoning in the US, 128,000 go to hospital and 48 million are bed-bound by sickness
- A new USDA study showed that hand-washing could easily drive that down
- Researchers also warned few Americans check their meat with a thermometer
Mia De Graaf Health Editor For Dailymail.com
19
View
comments
Most Americans do not know how to properly clean their hands before cooking or eating meals.
That’s according to a new study by the US Department of Agriculture, which watched 383 people prepare a turkey dish.
Only three percent of them washed their hands in a way that would protect them from food poisoning – rushing through it or just dipping their hands under the tap.
They also found just 34 percent used a thermometer to check the meat was cooked through, which is one of the best ways to prevent foodborne-illness from turkey.
Three thousand people die a year of food poisoning in the US, 128,000 go to hospital and 48 million are bed-bound by sickness. Proper hand-washing could change that
‘As a mother of three young children, I am very familiar with the mad dash families go through to put dinner on the table,’ said Carmen Rottenberg, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA.
‘You can’t see, smell or feel bacteria. By simply washing your hands properly, you can protect your family and prevent that bacteria from contaminating your food and key areas in your kitchen.’
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses each year.
Three thousand of those die, and around 128,000 are hospitalized.
-
The real reasons you can’t stick to a diet – and how to get…
New drug may restore hearing by ‘turning on’ genes that keep…
Children and the elderly are particularly at-risk, as well as people with suppressed immune systems such as transplant survivors.
While it’s a problem all year round, the USDA puts out an annual push for awareness around July 4th, the national holiday for barbecue season.
This year, they showed half their volunteers a new video the department is trialing to teach Americans how to use thermometers when cooking meat.
It didn’t quite pan out as they had hoped: just 75 percent of those who watched the video actually put that advice into action when they hit the test kitchen straight after. Among those who didn’t watch the video, just 34 percent thought to use it.
But the hand-washing raised the biggest concerns.
It may sound like a slog, Rottenberg says, but you do have to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water after handling raw meat, poultry or eggs.
When you’re done, always dry your hands on a clean towel.
So, for those handling the barbecue, use tongs and skewers where possible.
Share or comment on this article:
-
Adopted woman, 79, meets her 100-year-old biological mom…
-
Family of black man killed when two Kansas officers shot…
-
‘Get rid of it’: Democratic senator who once supported…
-
Border patrol agent, 39, ‘sends nude photos on Snapchat…
-
Grandma, 78, graduates from middle school after having to…
-
The moment a police dog attacks a goldendoodle at an…
-
REVEALED: Texas church shooter had cannabis and…
-
Youth evangelist accused of ‘sexually abusing at least…
-
Windshield viper! Moment a SNAKE pops up from a car’s…
-
He just wanted to go shopping! Texas cops wrangle 8-foot…
-
Dramatic moment driver, 57, attempts to flee traffic stop…
-
Never enough bear claws! Greedy bear intruder chows down…
-
Republican lawmaker in Arkansas arrested after failing to…
-
Martin Luther King almost didn’t make his ‘I have a…
-
Accused CIA leaker facing child porn charges writes…
-
Waddle we do? Incredible moment a group of male emperor…
-
Obama says he asked Trump to keep Obamacare and rename it…
-
Boy gets his head stuck inside 800lb granite lion statue…
Comments 19
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Close
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.