Food-borne pathogens are tiny organisms that can make you ill if they enter your body and can be found in raw meat & poultry, insects, animals and birds.
The norovirus, E.coli, listeria and campylobacter are some examples of a food-borne pathogen.
Norovirus
More commonly known as the Winter Vomiting Bug, it causes sudden vomiting and diarrhea that can last for several days at a time and spreads when you come in to contact with someone who has it, contaminated food, poor hygiene and lack of cleanliness.
How to prevent it?
To prevent norovirus in the kitchen, the most effective steps are thorough handwashing, strict food hygiene, and disinfecting surfaces with bleach-based cleaners. Avoid preparing food if you’re sick, and keep raw shellfish and fresh produce properly washed and cooked.
🛡️ Practical Kitchen Prevention Tips
- Hand hygiene
- Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before handling food, after using the toilet, and after cleaning up vomit or diarrhoea.
- Hand sanitizers are less effective against norovirus, so soap and water are essential.
- Food handling
- Do not prepare or serve food if you are ill, and wait at least 48 hours after symptoms stop before returning to food preparation.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
- Cook shellfish (like oysters and mussels) properly, as they are common carriers.
- Surface cleaning
- Disinfect kitchen counters, utensils, and frequently touched surfaces with bleach-based cleaners. Norovirus can survive on hard surfaces for days.
- Wash contaminated laundry (like kitchen towels) at high temperatures.
- Cross-contamination control
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate.
- Use different chopping boards for raw meat, seafood, and vegetables.
- Ensure utensils and dishes are cleaned with hot water and detergent.
- Staff and household rules
- Anyone sick should avoid food preparation entirely. Many outbreaks trace back to kitchens where hygiene slipped or staff worked while ill.
- In professional kitchens, managers should enforce strict exclusion policies for sick staff.
⚠️ Why These Steps Matter
Norovirus is extremely contagious: only a few viral particles can cause illness, and it spreads quickly through contaminated food, water, and surfaces. Because it survives for days and resists alcohol-based sanitizers, consistent hygiene habits are the only way to break the chain of infection.
Would you like me to design a visual kitchen safety checklist—with icons for handwashing, food separation, and bleach cleaning—that matches your blog’s branding? It could make these prevention steps more engaging and easy to follow.
E.coli
E.coli is a bacteria that can be found in animal intestines, faeces and urine. It is also found in raw meat.
Undercooked beef mince, raw dairy products, contaminated water and some raw vegetables (such are leafy greens) can all be a source of E.coli.
Stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and diarrhea are some of the symptoms of E.coli.
How to prevent it?
🛡️ Kitchen Safety Tips to Prevent E. coli
- Cook meat thoroughly
- Especially ground beef—use a food thermometer to ensure it reaches at least 70°C (160°F).
- Avoid pink or undercooked burgers and meatballs.
- Wash hands properly
- Before and after handling raw meat, using the toilet, or touching animals.
- Use soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid raw milk and unpasteurized dairy
- These can carry harmful E. coli strains. Stick to pasteurized products.
- Wash fruits and vegetables
- Especially leafy greens like spinach and lettuce.
- Use clean water and scrub firm produce like carrots or apples.
- Prevent cross-contamination
- Use separate chopping boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat foods.
- Clean knives, counters, and hands between tasks.
- Store food safely
- Keep raw meat sealed and below ready-to-eat items in the fridge.
- Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly.
- Exclude sick food handlers
- Anyone with diarrhoea or vomiting should avoid preparing food until 48 hours after symptoms stop.
Listeria
- Soft cheeses (e.g. Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses)
- Cold cured meats and pâté
- Smoked fish and cooked shellfish
- Pre-packed salads and sandwiches
- Pre-cut fruit (like melon slices)
- Unpasteurized milk and dairy products
How to prevent it?
🛡️ Kitchen Safety Tips to Prevent Listeria
- Keep your fridge below 5°C
- Listeria thrives in cold environments. Use a fridge thermometer to monitor temperature.
- Clean your fridge regularly
- Wipe spills immediately and disinfect shelves weekly. Listeria can survive on surfaces.
- Cook and reheat food thoroughly
- Heat ready meals, leftovers, and deli meats until steaming hot. Cooking kills Listeria.
- Avoid high-risk foods if vulnerable
- Pregnant women, older adults, and those with weakened immunity should avoid:
- Soft cheeses (unless made with pasteurized milk)
- Cold cured meats and pâté
- Smoked fish and pre-packed salads
- Unpasteurized milk and dairy
- Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw food
- Prevent cross-contamination by cleaning chopping boards, knives, and countertops.
- Check use-by dates and storage instructions
- Don’t eat chilled foods past their expiry. Store perishable items as directed.
Campylobacter
How to prevent it?
🛡️ Kitchen Safety Tips to Prevent Campylobacter
- Cook poultry thoroughly
- Ensure chicken is cooked all the way through—no pink meat, and juices should run clear.
- Use a food thermometer to check internal temperature reaches at least 75°C.
- Avoid washing raw chicken
- Washing spreads bacteria via splashes. Cooking kills Campylobacter—washing does not.
- Wash hands after handling raw meat
- Use soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Especially important after touching packaging, utensils, or surfaces.
- Use separate chopping boards
- One for raw meat, another for ready-to-eat foods.
- Clean boards and knives thoroughly after use.
- Clean kitchen surfaces and utensils
- Disinfect countertops, sinks, and taps after preparing raw poultry.
- Don’t forget fridge handles and bin lids.
- Store raw meat safely
- Keep it sealed and on the bottom shelf of the fridge to prevent drips.
- Refrigerate promptly and use within recommended dates.
- Avoid unpasteurised milk and untreated water
- These can also carry Campylobacter.
