AIBU or is DH? Cooking and food hygiene.

[Chickenandbread]

I cooked dinner this evening. One of the ingredients was chicken. I diced it on a separate chopping board with a separate knife. Veg and other dry ingredients that needed chopping were done on a different board with a different knife. In my view this is normal and basic food hygiene.

Sat down to eat in the dining room. I hadn't cleared everything up from the kitchen counter yet. DH wanted some crusty bread to go with his meal so he went into the kitchen to cut some and brought me a slice too.

After we'd finished eating I went back into the kitchen and saw he'd used the dirty chicken board and knife to slice the bread. I was angry with him for using an obviously dirty board and knife. He was angry with me for being angry with him.

AIBU or is DH?

Your DH.

That could have made you both severely unwell.

Does he know? Mine wouldn't have when we first got together.

I'd have put the dirty board in the sink.

Does he know which one was used for what if so he is an idiot and reckless. We have a set plate for cooking raw meat it goes straight in the dish washer with the knife as soon as the meat is in the pan. I couldn't leave it on the side.

It is shocking food hygiene from him. We have an unwritten rule that anything that has been used for raw meat goes in the sink, but we often check before using a used knife or chopping board what it has been used for.

You should have put that board straight into the sink. He absolutely shouldn’t have used it - did he know it was the raw chicken board? If so that’s terrible

Yes he's rubbish to have used a dirty board and knife. But I never leave the raw meat board dirty and always clean it while I'm still cooking and put knife in dishwasher or sink. I couldn't have cared less if DH used the dirty veg knife.

But you are partially responsible for leaving the dirty meat board uncleaned.

To be fair I wouldn't have thought you'd leave the knife and board out you'd used to cut the chicken on, wouldn't you have put them both immediately in the sink or dishwasher? so I can see why he wouldn't have questioned using them.

I always wash anything that has been used for raw meat straight away or at least rinse it thoroughly and put it in the dish washer.

This is particularly important to prevent you contaminating the cook food with raw meat. Unless you have a massive kitchen and can used lots of different services.

I think its grim to leave a chopping board and knife out on the side after it's been used for raw meat, tbh. We always wash ours in hot soapy water as soon as we're done using it. So it wouldn't really cross my mind that a board and knife sat out on the side might have raw meat juice on it - I'd have probably done the same as your DH and then been upset with you for leaving a minging board out where it might get used again!

I should add that it was obvious the board was dirty as it had the empty chicken packet next to it and small pieces of chicken still on the knife and board.

The veg board was also still out.

There is enough counter space for 3 or more chopping boards.

I’m another who wouldn’t leave a board either raw meat juice on it on the side.

Yabu, because I think anything that has been in contact with raw chicken should be washed with warm soapy water immediately, not left on the bench or in the sink. Your dh is being unreasonable for using a dirty knife and chopping board to slice bread.

However, if it was cooked chicken that you chopped and the last of the bread sliced and immediately eaten then it’s not so bad.

'Normal and basic food hygiene' would normally include not leaving out a potentially contaminated knife and cutting board on the side in case somebody doesn't realise and uses them. And it's pretty standard to remove sharp items from random places, clearing up as you go rather than leaving a working space littered with the detritus of food preparation, isn't it?

Put dirty stuff in the wash

Simple

I'd have probably done the same as your DH and then been upset with you for leaving a minging board out where it might get used again!

This!

But even so you really should not have left it out. Anything with raw meat should be washed up straight away or at least put in the sink.

Your DH is an idiot - basic basic hygiene!!

I have a rule that whenever I’ve finished using a board/knife for raw meat, if I can’t immediately wash it up I put it in the sink and squirt washing up liquid over it so it’s crystal clear it’s not to be used. If your DH didn’t know the board had been used for raw meat, YABU. If he did, and used it anyway, he is BU (and disgusting).

Evidently it wasn't all that obvious though or he wouldn't have used it, unless you're implying he intentionally used a knife and board to cut up bread...

I honestly can't believe though that you left it all on the side and didn't even throw the packer away.

Just seen your update. Your DH is wrong, then. Still think it would have taken two minutes for you to put the chicken packet in the bin and board in the sink though.

YABU for leaving raw chicken tools lying about the kitchen.

YANBU that your husband should have considered “what has this knife and board been used for” which is a standard query and avoids both food poisoning and extremely garlicky fruit (for example).

I would have popped it in the sink but my ex thought nothing of vaguely rinsing things and using them again these days I wash immediately I have cats they dont really like raw meat but I never take the risk 😁

But yanbu he is grim it's obvious and everyone knows raw chicken is an issue unless they have lived under a rock for the last 20 years

Your husband is playing with fire - what an idiot!

I always wash & spray my raw meat chopping board as soon as I’ve finished using it.

I've lost count of how many times we had food poisoning as a kid thanks to Mum’s poor cooking hygiene due to this kind of fuckwittery.

Ironically Mum was a school cook for 40 years, and when I was broke I ended up dish-pigging at her school for a couple of years, and her hygiene in that kitchen was perfect! I think at home she just couldn’t be arsed!