chopping veg on a board used for raw chicken

[HighwayDragon]

I've just chopped up some chicken, thrown it in the pan, remembered the onion so went to use the same board and knife. DP practically squealed about cross contamination, and us all being ill, I put the raw onion straight into the pan with the raw chicken! He wanted me to get a clean board and knife to then put it with raw meat anyway making more washing up for me.

He's an idiot right?

It doesn't matter in this case, as everything is going to be boiling at some point.

Exactly. So there isn't a risk after all.

it is perfectly acceptable practice for a domestic kitchen as long as the person cooking has a good basic understanding of food hygiene.

Well if you're going to ask OP then you might expect a range of opinions. I don't think your DH is an idiot as I think consistent kitchen hygiene is important. I wouldn't call my dh an idiot for wanting to be as careful as possible even if it's a bit ott.

I do love a bonkers hygiene thread

Slightlyconfused - I am sorry but you are really confused. As long as the onion is thoroughly cooked, that will kill any bacteria that it has picked up from the chopping board.

There would be a problem if she was preparing salad on the raw-chickeny board, but anything that is going to be thoroughly cooked will be fine.

Knowing that proper cooking will kill the bacteria from the chicken that have contaminated the onion is not an opinion, it is a fact.

The onion itself will not poison anyone as it's being cooked for the same amount of time that the chicken itself will be cooked for. So the meal is perfectly fine.

However it isn't a good idea to cut the onion on the raw chicken board just because you'll be spreading the raw chicken bacteria around the kitchen by working on the dirty board, getting bacteria on your hands etc. Personally I only cut meat on dishwasher proof boards and it goes straight into the dishwasher.

There is nothing on the board or knife that can possibly be more "dangerous" than what it's about to touch when it goes in the pan.

Because of the laws of physics, or something.

This is the germy soap pump of cooking dilemmas.

Not confused at all. I understand that there's no risk for the dish she's cooking. I just don't think her husband is an idiot for wanting to be careful in the kitchen.

do you agree he is an idiot for overreacting though?

But you said, in your first post, that there was a "reasonable risk" that the OP and her dh would get ill.

I didn't phrase myself well. There is a reasonable risk of illness if care is not generally taken in the kitchen over these types of things. I lost my dad to a very bad case of salmonella so I happen to think that OPs husband isn't an idiot for wanting to take care. If care is not taken, who's to say the same knife being used for eveything else in the stew isn't then used to cut fruit for a pudding? I'm not looking for an argument just trying to make myself clear although you're welcome to have a go if you like

If the chicken(and onion) knife was to be used on fruit we would have said "Oi! OP! Cut that out right now!", but it was just for chicken and onion which get un-poisoned with proper cooking.

Care is being taken, slightlyconfused. You chop all the ingredients of the the chicken dish on one board, then wash board, knife and hands. And if you're me, spray the worktop down too before preparing anything else.

I can see why you see the worst case scenario though, as you have been through it with your Dad, which must have been so awful when basic hygiene can prevent it.

It's not the best practice tbh. Did you wash your hands thoroughly after cutting up the chicken and going to the cupboard, fridge or veg rack to get the onion? If not you have contaminated a wide area of your kitchen. If you did there isn't a problem but it's always better to do the veg first before handling meat.

Ok to the above. No Zing, I'm afraid that I don't agree that her dh is an idiot.

That's why I get everything out first, then start prepping/cooking.

Her DH is being an idiot, there is absolutely no chance of any cross contamination, nor are there any dubious hygiene practices going on.

I'm sorry about your dad.

but it's clear OP knows about food hygiene and doubt she'd cut up fruit with a knife that's just been used to cut up raw chicken. unless the fruit is going in the stew as well.

I used to burn the onions so now i cut up the meat first, get it going, the chop up the onions, carrots, celery whatever and keep adding these to the same pot as meat.

then wash knife and chopping board. no doubt OP did the same, being careful enough that no other food that is consumed raw could be contaminated.
she was sensible.

can you see how her DH overreacted? he wasn't being more careful.

YANBU

But saying that I wouldn't do it. Different chopping boards, different knives (or wash the one I'd used) for me. Just habit.

Greencurtain: How would she spread bacteria around the kitchen by cutting the onion on the dirty board?

My mum is like the ops dh, it drives me mad. There is a world of difference between doing what the OP did and peeling an apple on the dirty board and then eating it!

I use the same board for everything. It is washed well afterwards. I am very careful to wash hands and utensils too, and we have never been ill.

anyway, you should chop food on your toilet seat as it is way cleaner than your chopping board.
woman in advert said so.
I believe her

Sorry, slightlyconfused, but the OP asked about a very specific set of circumstances - she believed it was safe to chop the onion on the same board she'd chopped the chicken on, and her dh didn't - there was no suggestion she was going to chop anything that was not going to get cooked on that board, so I cannot see any doubt that that specific action was perfectly safe, because the onion and chicken were both going to be properly cooked.

I am sorry about the loss of your father.

I'm sore afraid of chicken, so I am.

But not as funny as about lamb. And don't get me started on goat. Creepy slitty-eyed fuckers.

And don't start me on onions and colour-coded chopping boards.

I stick to Pot Noodles.

limited

fish eyes freak me out