For anyone wanting to be more hygienic, washing our hands properly is quite important. Do YOU Wash Your Hands Well Enough? Using Purell or some other hand sanitizer is not enough.
Do YOU Wash Your Hands Well Enough?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
“A new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that when it comes to handwashing before meals, consumers are failing to properly clean their hands 97 percent of the time. Rushed handwashing can lead to cross-contamination of food and other surfaces, resulting in foodborne illness.” [WOW!!!]
These are several findings from the USDA
- Handwashing — “The study revealed that consumers are not washing their hands correctly 97 percent of the time. Most consumers failed to wash their hands for the necessary 20 seconds. And numerous participants did not dry their hands with a clean towel.”
- Thermometer use — “Results reveal that only 34 percent of participants used a food thermometer to check that their burgers were cooked properly. Of those who did use the food thermometer, nearly half still did not cook the burgers to the safe minimum internal temperature.”
- Cross contamination — “The study showed participants spreading bacteria from raw poultry onto other surfaces and food items in the test kitchen. 48 percent of the time are contaminating spice containers used while preparing burgers. 11 percent of the time are spreading bacteria to refrigerator handles. And 5 percent of the time are tainting salads due to cross-contamination.”
- “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million Americans are sickened with foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Children, older adults and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.”
Click the USDA logo to read more.
Be safer!!!