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AIBU?

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Original poster

To use a washed-up raw meat knife

158 replies

CuppaDog · 31/01/2025 19:32

DP and I had a big dispute regarding a hygiene issue. As these happen regularly, I'd love to get a sense check from this esteemed audience.

I cut DD (10)'s bread roll with a kitchen knife. That knife was used to cut raw chicken on the day before and subsequently washed up and has been dry overnight.

The strongly expressed demand was that I immediately throw away the bread roll, and that this is "common sense".

YABU - Using a raw meat knife for directly eaten food is never acceptable, even if it has been washed up
YANBU - It's fine to use a raw meat knife as long as it has been washed up

OP posts:
whatisforteamum · 31/01/2025 22:14

Bit rude to call her DH batshit.
If his parents had separate utensils that would be ingrained in his mind.
As a chef I've worked in places with red everything to reduce contamination.
Perhaps his parents worked in restaurants.

stichguru · 31/01/2025 22:12

If the knife wasn't washed properly - that's gross and dangerous, but provided it was that's fine. Knives are completely shiny so they wash clean. I think the different coloured chopping boards thing is different - boards get tiny grooves in which can never be totally cleaned, which is why you don't use the board used for raw meat and fish for anything else.

user1492757084 · 31/01/2025 22:12

Soak and hot wash tea towels, wipe clothes and wash up sponges regularly and or replace. Wash utensils, and wash and keep chopping boards for separate purposes.
Wash any plates that have had raw meat on them; do not use for cooked meat before washing - eg - at a BBQ..
Store raw meat on a plate and low down in fridge.

JoanCollinsDiva · 31/01/2025 22:11

Your dh has some sort of OCD to be thinking like this.

Ponderingwindow · 31/01/2025 22:10

I’m pretty conservative when it comes to food safety and even I think this is bonkers.

i do wonder about using the same knife for bread and meat just because they aren’t best cut with the same knife. For bread I would want a serrated knife. For meat I would want a clean edge.

honestly, the serrated knife is only used for bread so maybe that is what started this all? It doesn’t always even really need a solid washing depending on what bread it cut. I’d never use it on meat or anything else though because it would ruin all those wonderful little serrations plus all sorts of stuff would get caught and cleaning it would be a nightmare

Thirteenblackcat · 31/01/2025 22:09

Does he use disposable gloves when he chops chicken?

Bibi12 · 31/01/2025 22:07

cocoromo · 31/01/2025 21:48

I’m assuming the board wasn’t cleaned properly, but presumably this knife was? Bit of a reach there….

Show quote history

It's very hard to wash wooden butcher's block properly, especially massive one. Also like I mentioned before if people use same sponge for everything then the sponge will be contaminated.

I'm personaly not bother about using specific chopping board or knife for meat because they are plastic and I wash them properly in hot water.

TheFatCatsWhiskers1 · 31/01/2025 21:53

ReggaetonLente · 31/01/2025 21:44

What about if you touch raw meat? Is washing your hands enough? Or must you cut them off

But what do you do with the knife after you've cut them off? Is washing it enough, or must it be smelted and shot into space?

TheFatCatsWhiskers1 · 31/01/2025 21:50

OP YANBU, however I think YAB a bit U to use a kitchen knife instead of a bread knife to cut a bread roll Shock

WiddlinDiddlin · 31/01/2025 21:50

ReggaetonLente · 31/01/2025 21:44

What about if you touch raw meat? Is washing your hands enough? Or must you cut them off

Cut them off, throw hands away...

Common sense surely!

cocoromo · 31/01/2025 21:48

Bibi12 · 31/01/2025 21:28

Yes, that women who got parasites in her brain from using same chopping board for everything also was absolutely fine until one day she wasn't.

Of course it happens rarely but not everyone wants to risk it and that's fine. We all have different tolerance to unnecessary risk.

Show quote history

I’m assuming the board wasn’t cleaned properly, but presumably this knife was? Bit of a reach there….

TheFatCatsWhiskers1 · 31/01/2025 21:47

Bibi12 · 31/01/2025 21:25

I boil some hot water in a kettle and pour it over anything I used for raw meat.
If you just use soapy sponge then that sponge will become a perfect breeding ground for bacteria from the meat. So it will be the sponge which will be dirty and then you will use it to wash something else.

While parasites in the meat are rare these days they can also be extremely dangerous and people can have them for a long time before they develop any serious symptoms.

I think it's the case of awareness to be honest. The more awareness you have the more careful you become. If you don't know what can happen you just don't think about it.

Pouring hot or even boiling water over things won't kill parasites. To kill pathogens with boiling water alone the item would need to be kept at a rolling boil for at least one minute. The water might rinse some of the pathogens away but cold water would do the same job. If you're concerned about the sponge you can soak it in diluted bleach for 10 minutes or so.

YouFreakingFreaks · 31/01/2025 21:46

I’m plant based and I have severe contamination OCD but even I use the same knives for veg and raw meat once they’ve been through the dishwasher or been washed in hot soapy water (although preferably dishwasher in my case).

cocoromo · 31/01/2025 21:46

So by his logic you can’t add veg to a frying pan that’s had meat in previously? This is very odd. Sounds borderline MH.

Elsvieta · 31/01/2025 21:46

It was clean. That's what washing-up does. I hope you told your DP to stuff it.

honeyytoast · 31/01/2025 21:45

He’s confused, the reason people/kitchens use didferent knives for raw/cooked etc is so they don’t get cross contaminated before they’re washed up. if something is clean it’s fine

nodramaplz · 31/01/2025 21:45

He got issues x

ReggaetonLente · 31/01/2025 21:44

What about if you touch raw meat? Is washing your hands enough? Or must you cut them off

Midnightlove · 31/01/2025 21:42

Tisthedamnseason · 31/01/2025 19:38

I have a pretty severe phobia of vomiting and can be very obsessive around contamination of things in the kitchen if raw meat is around. But this would not bother me at all (assuming you mean washed properly in hot soapy water).

Same here!

Although I do have a dishwasher to make sure its all cleaned very well

Bibi12 · 31/01/2025 21:39

RedToothBrush · 31/01/2025 21:33

Meanwhile you could get hit by a bus tomorrow.

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Yes of course I could. But I take care while crossing the road and there is a huge benefit for me using public space and getting from A to B so it's a risk worth taking as many other risks in life.

On other hand pouring hot water on items I use for raw meat takes one minute and I have no benefit from keeping those items contaminated so it's a senseless risk I can easily avoid. Especially that parasites often have no obvious symptoms so people walk around with them for ages until damage is done.

They are not even remotely same situations for me.

Normallynumb · 31/01/2025 21:37

If the knife has been washed in hot soapy water, it is clean and fine to use
It's not supposed to be disposable!

RedToothBrush · 31/01/2025 21:33

Bibi12 · 31/01/2025 21:28

Yes, that women who got parasites in her brain from using same chopping board for everything also was absolutely fine until one day she wasn't.

Of course it happens rarely but not everyone wants to risk it and that's fine. We all have different tolerance to unnecessary risk.

Show quote history

Meanwhile you could get hit by a bus tomorrow.

Bibi12 · 31/01/2025 21:28

Ceecee2422 · 31/01/2025 21:17

We have a butchers block we chop everything on, we’re still alive lol never had food poisoning or anything else from it…….

Yes, that women who got parasites in her brain from using same chopping board for everything also was absolutely fine until one day she wasn't.

Of course it happens rarely but not everyone wants to risk it and that's fine. We all have different tolerance to unnecessary risk.

verycloakanddaggers · 31/01/2025 21:26

CuppaDog · 31/01/2025 20:09

Thanks for all the reassurances so far!

There is also a cultural dimension to this question. DP is Chinese where apparently the need for strict and full separation of raw meat and other utensils is taught from childhood.

Then this is completely different and you need to agree whether you will follow this practice in your house or not.

Ohwtfnow · 31/01/2025 21:26

I am a big germophobe but that wouldn’t even bother me.

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