A new survey from Safefood reveals a gap between confidence and behaviour in kitchen hygiene across Northern Ireland which could lead to food poisoning illness.
While nine in 10 adults say they are confident in their kitchen hygiene, the survey shows that 73% risk spreading food poisoning bacteria by skipping key cleaning practices: replacing dishcloths every 2 days; washing hands, utensils, surfaces and chopping boards thoroughly after handling raw food; and washing hands before and after touching a phone or device.
Key findings:
- Only 27% of respondents say they follow key cleaning practices
- Only 34% replace dish clothes every two days even though these items are known to harbour high levels of bacteria.
- Only 28% of people realise that food poisoning bacteria can last on surfaces, including phones and worktops, for over 24 hours.
- One in three people (34%) say they always or often use their phone while cooking, yet only 29% wash their hands both before and after using a device.
The survey is part of the latest phase of Safefood’s Clean As You Go campaign, which is being brought to the Balmoral Show through live cooking demonstrations in the NI Food and Drink Pavilion. Working alongside Northern Ireland chefs, the campaign will highlight practical cleaning steps to avoid cross-contamination such as washing hands properly, and cleaning surfaces and utensils as you cook.
Almost three in 10 people (29%) surveyed say they rarely or never wash their hands when using a phone or device while preparing food. This is significant because pervious research by Safefood on smart devices found that phones used while cooking can become contaminated with harmful bacteria during food preparation.
Handwashing habits also vary across respondents. While most people say they wash their hands after handling raw food, only 61% do so thoroughly using soap and water. Of the rest, 27% wash hands quickly, 10% rinsing with water alone and 2% saying they do not usually wash their hands at all.
Joanne Uí Chrualaoich, CEO of Safefood, said:
“People in Northern Ireland feel confident in keeping their kitchen clean but this survey shows that confidence does not always reflect what is happening in practice. Everyday habits, particularly the use of mobile phones during food preparation, are creating risks that can lead to food poisoning. We know from our smart devices research that harmful bacteria can survive on the screen of a smart device for more than 24 hours. As our campaign shows if you could see harmful bacteria spread, you would Clean As You Go.”
Trish Twohig, Director of Food Safety at Safefood, added:
“With almost three quarters of people unsure how long food poisoning bacteria can survive on surfaces, the findings highlight ongoing uncertainty around cross-contamination in the kitchen. This campaign is about showing people how easily harmful bacteria can spread on to food, utensils, surfaces and even your loved ones. Clean as you go to stop food poisoning bacteria from spreading.”
Safefood is reminding home cooks that confidence does not equal safety – and that small changes to everyday habits can significantly reduce the risk of food poisoning at home. To get the facts and practical advice visit:
https://www.safefood.net/food-safety/cross-contamination
