Home cooks risk spreading food poisoning bacteria warns Safefood

Despite High Confidence, 75% of home cooks risk spreading food poisoning bacteria warns Safefood

New survey from Safefood reveals significant gaps in kitchen hygiene practices among Irish home cooks. Launched today as part of its Clean As You Go campaign, Safefood is urging busy households to adopt simple, practical habits to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and safeguard family health.

The new survey shows that while 90% of adults feeling confident in their kitchen cleaning, only 25% consistently follow key cleaning practices. This perception-practice gap creates a silent risk of cross-contamination in everyday food preparation, further supported by 63% of adults underestimating that food poisoning bacteria can survive on surfaces – like phones and worktops – for more than 24 hours.

Key findings from the Safefood survey highlight areas of particular concern:

• Dishcloths are a hidden hazard as nearly two-thirds of Irish adults (64%) say they are not replacing dishcloths and sponges at least every 2 days. Damp cloths are prime breeding grounds for harmful bacteria, posing a direct risk of spreading germs.
• With over a third (37%) of people frequently using mobile phones while cooking, a concerning 74% are failing to wash hands both before and after touching their device – creating a direct pathway for bacteria transfer to food or other surfaces.
• Over 4 in 10 people say they don’t wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw food risking cross-contamination.

“People in Ireland feel confident in keeping their kitchen clean but this survey shows that confidence does not always reflect what is happening in practice,” says Joanne Uí Chrualaoich, CEO of Safefood. “Everyday habits, particularly the use of mobile phones during food preparation, are creating risks that can lead to food poisoning illness. We know from our previous Smart Devices research that harmful bacteria can survive on the screen of a smart device for more than 24 hours. As our advertising shows, if you could see harmful bacteria spread – you would Clean As You Go.”

Trish Twohig, Director of Food Safety at Safefood, adds, ” With almost three quarters of people unsure how long food poisoning bacteria can survive on surfaces, the findings highlight ongoing risks around cross-contamination in the kitchen. This campaign is about showing people how easily harmful bacteria can spread on to food, utensils, surfaces and even your loved ones.”

The Safefood “Clean as You Go” campaign shows how easily harmful bacteria spread from raw food to hands, surfaces, utensils and mobile phones during food preparation. It aims to encourage home cooks to follow these steps to keep your kitchen clean and protect your family:

• Always wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after handling utensils or raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs; dry with a clean towel.
• Replace dishcloths or sponges for clean ones at least every 2 days. Dirty ones are a major source of bacteria.
• Wash chopping boards thoroughly after contact with raw foods. Never flip a board.
• Clean kitchen surfaces with hot soapy water immediately after preparing raw food.
• If using your phone during cooking, clean your hands thoroughly before and after touching it.