Why you need a separate cutting board for meat
Whether you’re serving up meat, poultry, or seafood for dinner, any form of raw meat may contain bacteria. And when you use a cutting board to prepare these food items, said bacteria can survive a hot, soapy wash and linger in the board’s crevices. The result? You could potentially taint other foods chopped on the same board.
While that may be less of a problem for meat cooked to a safe internal temperature, your fruits and veggies may pick up some of the bacteria from your cutting board. Yuck. This possibility for cross-contamination is the same reason why health officials caution against washing chicken before you cook it.
Luckily, reducing the risk is simple. Keep two or more cutting boards on hand and make sure one of them is reserved specifically for chopping raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Make sure you also avoid these other cooking mistakes that can make your food toxic.
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