Top 5 Food Hygiene Myths - Debunked!

Food and kitchen hygiene is of the utmost importance in any home or professional kitchen. It often seems that many have their own way of doing things and because of that, sometimes ‘cleaning myths’ can pop up.

At GDG we are not only committed to providing quality cleaning products, but we are also committed to ensuring that you are all cleaning safely and effectively.

So, without further ado, let’s bust some of the common food and kitchen hygiene myths we have heard over our many years in this industry.

Myth 1 - Washing meat gets rid of bacteria

Some chefs and home cooks have been locking horns about this one for some time. Washing meat can indeed get rid of some bacteria. However, doing so can be more dangerous than not washing it at all.

Meat can contain harmful bacteria on the outside that people often partly wash off in the sink, reducing the risk of food poisoning. On the other hand, doing this only deals with germs on the outside of the meat and risks splashing bacteria-filled water all over the place.

Myth 2 - The 5 second rule

We have all heard about this one! It is a tale as old as time that if you drop some food, it is safe to pick it up within five seconds of it falling on the floor. Unfortunately, this is simply not true. It doesn’t matter how clean your floor is, your food is still at risk of being contaminated with harmful bacteria.

A scientific study from the University of London put this rule to the test. They found that when dropping food samples such as pizza and toast, they all became covered in germs compared to foods not dropped.

Myth 3 - Vegetarians & vegans can’t get food poisoning

Becoming a vegetarian or vegan is a big lifestyle change that does great work for the environment. There is a myth sitting on the depths of the internet that vegetarians and vegans need not worry about food poisoning.

Although we wish this was true, it simply is not. Vegetarians and vegans are not in direct contact with raw meat, but with poorly managed kitchens there is always a risk of cross-contamination. Furthermore, vegetarian and vegan foods are always at risk of carrying pathogens, which are also attributed to food poisoning.

Myth 4 - The more soap, the better!

One thing is for certain that the more soap… the more bubbles! Although this means more fun, it does not mean greater cleaning power. Using too much soap often leaves a residue that is often difficult to clean.

You often need way less soap or detergent than you would assume. A fun tip is putting a rubber band on dispenser cleaners and you can be more sustainable by using less.

Wash and clean responsibly with GDG, check out our online shop!

Myth 5 - Your dishwasher doesn’t need cleaning

Cleaning a dishwasher isn’t often on the top of everybody’s bucket list. However, it is quite simple, a dirty dishwasher makes dirty dishes. In the long run, you will spend more and water re-cleaning your dishes!

We recommend cleaning the machine once every few months and to help your washing machine to last longer, rinse any excess food off your dishes and plates before placing them in the dishwasher.

At GDG, we stock a range of quality and affordable dishwashing products including detergents, pods and powders.

So, there it is! We hope that in debunking those cleaning myths that we can add a bit more confidence to your kitchen cleaning routines and that you’ve learned something new.

There are often so many misconceptions in terms of cleaning. Some advice can be dangerous, such as mixing cleaning products. If there is anything that you are unsure of, you are always welcome to talk to our friendly team of cleaning experts. In the meantime, check out our shop for all the latest deals on cleaning products!

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