Is it safe to eat veggies that were chopped on bloody cutting board and then cooked?
I made steak last night, and my girlfriend just chopped up some broccoli on the cutting board I used to prepare the meat, without washing it. She plans to cook the broccoli in the oven, which she said will cook off any bacteria that would have been transferred from the cutting board, but I'm really worried about cross contamination since it was 80 something degrees today and that cutting board had a fair amount of dried blood on it...
Should I eat the veggies tonight? I always err on the side of caution and think I'd rather mildly offend her by not eating that part of the meal than risk getting sick.
Best Answer
Your girlfriend is right (lucky you). As long as food is going to be cooked thoroughly after coming into contact with the blood on the cutting board there is no risk as the heat of the oven will kill off any microbes that can cause foodborne illness.
The concern would be cross contamination of food that will not be cooked, for instance salads, breads, etc. This is why good professional kitchens are strict about washing boards after being used - in a busy kitchen it would be easy for mistakes to be made. In a home kitchen when there's good communication or just one person cooking you have much less chance of that happening. However, it would be all too easy to forget and crunch down on a piece of raw broccoli or for a small child to get exposed by raiding the uncooked vegetables, which is why it's good practice to wash boards after cutting meat even in a home kitchen.
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Quick Answer about "Is it safe to eat veggies that were chopped on bloody cutting board and then cooked?"
As long as food is going to be cooked thoroughly after coming into contact with the blood on the cutting board there is no risk as the heat of the oven will kill off any microbes that can cause foodborne illness. The concern would be cross contamination of food that will not be cooked, for instance salads, breads, etc.Can the same cutting board can be used for vegetables and meat if they are cooked together?
1. Using the same cutting board for meat and vegetables. Uncooked meat will leave bacteria on everything it touches, including your cutting boards, utensils and your own hands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends using separate boards for meat and vegetables.Should the same knife used for cutting meat be used for cutting vegetables?
Be aware of the tools used during cooking \u2014 never use the same knife for raw meat, poultry or seafood to chop produce or ready-to-eat foods. Also, use one utensil to taste and another to prepare food.Can you use one cutting board for meat and vegetables?
Use two cutting boards: one strictly to cut raw meat, poultry and seafood; the other for ready-to-eat foods, like breads and vegetables. Don't confuse them.Is it Bad to Use a Wooden Cutting Board? Is it Bad to Cut Raw Meat on a Wooden Cutting Board?
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Answer 2
Well, I think it’s absolutely fine to eat that broccoli today, cuz there probably wasn’t any pathogenic bacteria formed over short period of time between you used the board and then she did. If this chopping board was washed well beforehand (and your kitchen is not a total mess :) it should be fine.
Plus she cooked in an oven which probably was heated up over 220°C, which is enough to even do a sort of autoclaving (sterilization) of broccoli and for sure kill any germs.
So, you probably should go and enjoy your dinner)
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