Rachel C. Swicker
Registered Dietitian; District Specialist
Communities, Families and Youth
Cooperative Extension
University of Massachusetts
Copyright/Access Information
- about the dangers of cross contamination.
The day care provider remembered to put the chicken in the refrigerator to defrost before she went to bed. She took it out the next morning and cut it up on the wooden cutting board her son had made in his woodworking class. Then she put the chicken back in the refrigerator to marinate until supper. She wiped the cutting board with a sponge before she went to greet her first day care child. Later that morning she chopped raw vegetables for the children's snacks on the cutting board. Two of the children were vomiting the next day.
Most likely Salmonella bacteria from the raw chicken contaminated
the wooden cutting board. The bacteria spread to the vegetables
when they were later chopped on the same wooden cutting board.
Salmonella bacteria is a common cause of food poisoning, which
can make children and adults very
sick.
The sponge, which was used to wipe off the board, may have been
contaminated. If that sponge was then used to wipe off the board
for the vegetables, it may have reintroduced the bacteria to the
board.
1. Do not use wooden cutting boards.
2. Wash cutting boards and utensils thoroughly with hot water
and soap between tasks.
3. Avoid using sponges and cloths. They can hold and spread bacteria.
Use dish cloths that can be washed and sanitized.
1. Children missed school or day care because they were sick.
2. A parent may have missed work to care for a sick child. This
means lost wages for the parent.
3. If the child was very sick, there could have been expensive
doctor's bills to pay.
4. The day care provider could have lost wages if the sick children
did not come to day care.
5. The day care provider could have become sick and had to close
or hire a substitute to care for the children. This would cost
more money.
6. The parents might look for another day care provider or refuse
to recommend the day care provider to other parents.
Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for free food
safety bulletins and classes.