Cross contamination in the kitchen

What is it? What does it mean to someone with allergies? How to avoid it

Cross contamination is a major source of anxiety for those of us with allergies. We want people to know about it and how it works.

I can avoid a satay - easy

Avoiding someone's peanut butter covered hands - harder

Knowing if food has an undeclared allergen - impossible

For someone with food allergies and/or coeliac the tiniest cross contamination, just one little protein is enough can cause a reaction. Even a severe reaction like anaphylaxis can be caused by cross contamination.

A peanut butter knife also used in the vegemite jar, cheese chopped on a chopping board that watermelon is then chopped on, flour on the kitchen bench that gets onto some wheat free crackers. All examples of cross contamination. Some easier to deal with than others.

The definition of cross contamination is the transfer of bacteria or other microorganisms from one substance to another. Most of us would have heard of salmonella and the importance of cleaning up after dealing with raw chicken. It's pretty much the same deal when it comes to allergens.

Don't dismay we can combat cross contamination. YAY! The key is soap and water.

A few tips for managing cross contamination;

Know your friends/families allergens

The challenge is technically any food can be an allergen. I have a son severely allergic to a food regularly touted as an "allergy friendly food", sunflower seeds, friends allergic to pineapple, clients with strawberry, beef and banana allergies.

Having said that nine foods are responsible for around 90% of food allergies - dairy, eggs, peanuts, treenuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, sesame and soy. The other 10% are made up from a wide array of foods.

"I have had people laugh at me when I tell them I am allergic to bananas. People often assume nuts are the only allergen."

Key take away - always ask about allergies, never assume.

Wash hands with soap and water

I have a son with multiple allergens that have all cause him to have anaphylactic reactions in the past. When people ask what they can do to help or keep him safe my number one go to is - wash you hands after eating and preparing food. Kids eating a cheese sandwich and then playing with their toys = allergy contamination. Eating a peanut butter sandwich in the office at lunch = allergy contamination. Solution - washing your hands with soap.

It's simple one of the best ways to avoid cross contamination in the kitchen and beyond and keep those with allergies safe - wash you hands with water and soap after eating and preparing food.

Clean surfaces and utensils

Use hot soapy water and clean sponges or paper towel to clean utensils before preparing food for those with allergies. As I mentioned before just one little protein can cause an allergic reaction. Good news - soap and water can get rid of allergens. So clean your kitchen workspace and all utensils in hot soapy water before use. A clean sponge and tea towel are ideal or paper towel as we all know sponges love to hold onto old bits and pieces.

Keep your ingredients free from contaminates or buy new ones

I never eat condiments at someone else's house. The likelihood they contain peanut butter is way too high! If you can't be sure ingredients are allergen free you will need new unopened ones if preparing food for someone with allergies.

To keep ingredients safe always use seperate spoons/utensils. Measure out separately, use one ingredient at a time and store in sealed containers.

Check ingredients

Many ingredients have may contain and/or allergen statements. Everyone with allergies manages them differently and has to choose which foods they eat and which are safe for them. Some of us will eat foods with may contains, we may eat one type of food with a may contain statement but not another. This is a whole other blog post in itself. If you are cooking for someone with allergies, check the ingredients with them, also keep the packaging so they can check it for themselves and make that decision.

Plus - check every packet every time. Whether you are dealing with allergies yourself or helping someone else - check every packet, every single time you open a new one. Ingredients change and they don't always warn you.

Optional - having seperate utensils

If you have someone with allergies in your house or you are regularly or semi-regularly preparing food for someone with allergies it can be helpful to have a few 'safe' utensils that are only used for allergy free prep. In particular a chopping board, knife and tea towel.

My family started this when my son was young. They felt more comfortable preparing food for him with seperate utensils. Close friends followed suit, an allergy safe chopping board and knife so they can prepare basic foods like fruit when we go to their house. We almost always take food with us wherever we go. But having some houses we can go and know that food is prepared safely, even just a fruit platter to share with the other kids is about as heart warming and tear jerking as it gets for us.

In conclusion - soap and water are the key!

If this posts leaves you with one thing I hope it is soap and water get rid of allergens. Hand washing and washing utensils with soap and water can help decrease cross contamination and makes the world a little safer for those living with allergies.