Americans are really bad at washing hands, USDA researchers find
After watching people prepare turkey burgers and salads in a variety of different kitchens, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers concluded that hand cleansing etiquette in America is pathetic.
A government report released on June 28 found study participants in kitchens where they were actively being watched failed to properly wash their hands 97 percent of the time.
This is especially poor cleaning behavior for the kitchen, where microbes can easily cross-contaminate food with the help of our hands.
"You can’t see, smell or feel bacteria. By simply washing your hands properly, you can protect your family and prevent that bacteria from contaminating your food and key areas in your kitchen," Carmen Rottenberg, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA, said in a statement.
SEE ALSO:Judge tosses out climate suit against big oil, but it's not the end for these kinds of casesBut because hand washing is often done hastily, or not at all, it's little surprise that food poisoning is common in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million people are hit with food illnesses each year. Some 128,000 are hospitalized, and around 3,000 die.
Government researchers watched over 380 people prepare food in six separate "test kitchen facilities" located in both urban Raleigh–Durham, North Carolina area and the rural Smithfield, North Carolina. About half of the participants watched a three-minute video before preparing food.
But the video was not about washing hands. It was about how to use a cooking thermometer correctly -- the type you sink into a turkey. This gave researchers a chance to see how people might normally wash their hands, without being prompted beforehand. (Thermometer use in the kitchen increased, however.)
Campylobacter bacteria, a common food-borne illness.Credit: cdc"Among attempted handwashing events, very few included all steps necessary to be considered an adequate handwashing event," reads the report.
In over 1,000 "attempted handwashing events" the most frequent cleansing error -- made around 80 percent of the time -- was a failure to wash one's hands long enough with soap, for 20 seconds. Over 40 percent of the time people didn't bother to wet their hands at all.
Accordingly, nearly half of the spice containers used by study participants in the control group (who did not watch the thermometer video) were contaminated. This data for the other half of the participants is not included in the study, though the results are still "preliminary," so perhaps there's more to come.
But to conclude, the USDA says to wash your hands for 20 seconds, with warm water and soap, to kill off (most) harmful microbes. If not for yourself, perhaps try it for others.
Featured Video For You
Ever wonder how the universe might end?
-
Anatomy of a KeyboardMeta announces 'The Notorious B.I.G. Sky's The Limit: A VR Concert Experience'Best beauty deal: The Revlon OneHow (and why) we grieve on Instagram. It's complicated.Upgrade Your Monitor, Not Your GPU'Seoul unready to help Pyongyang's food shortages'Hyundai announces robot that can carry babies, boozePutin says untested coronavirus vaccine set for rollout in Russia.[From the Scene] How ‘world’s first oil town’ is wrestling to become ‘green'How to unlock TikTok's secret emoji codes
- ·Washington Mystics vs. Chicago Sky 2024 livestream: Watch live WNBA
- ·The RNC is American Carnage Week.
- ·How to unlock TikTok's secret emoji codes
- ·Putin says untested coronavirus vaccine set for rollout in Russia.
- ·两个改造提升项目进入收尾阶段
- ·芳香四溢!数十款广东兰花亮相四川农博会
- ·Why do some people cry after sex?
- ·饶平有礼,湾区共享!省直中直帮扶队将联袂把饶平美味端上湾区市民餐桌
- ·Keurig K Mini deal — get $30 off at Target
- ·Why Owning a Real Camera Matters
- ·'Speechless' Sabalenka wins Australian Open
- ·How to unlock TikTok's secret emoji codes
- ·How to watch 'Kinds of Kindness': When is it streaming?
- ·团结之花促和谐 同心共筑中国梦
- ·芳香四溢!数十款广东兰花亮相四川农博会
- ·Reality Distortion Field: 10 Things Apple Won't Directly Say But We'll Infer About the iPhone X
- ·Prime exclusive deal: $50 off Govee floor lamp
- ·Belarus' uprising is being sustained through memes and videos.
- ·友成基金会为1万名昭平幼儿捐赠生活必需品
- ·Moon may send special envoy to North Korea soon
- ·Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Apple Watch Ultra: The Fenix wins big on battery life
- ·雨城区公开招募2020年高校毕业就业见习生
- ·'Speechless' Sabalenka wins Australian Open
- ·Hyundai announces robot that can carry babies, booze
- ·Flying spaghetti monster and unworldly life filmed in deep sea footage
- ·Putin says untested coronavirus vaccine set for rollout in Russia.
- ·“新丰味”喜获中国首届县域品牌擂台赛十大营销创新品牌
- ·Steam Refunds: Friend or Foe?
- ·社区网格员 创卫当先锋
- ·'My Old School' review: a shocking true story that feels like a Hollywood comedy
- ·12 Sculptures Made From Recycled Materials
- ·Republican National Convention: Donald Trump speaks at the opening day in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- ·Why do some people cry after sex?
- ·资源下沉 优势互补 提高区域医疗服务水平
- ·A Global Tour of Bakeries With Fascinating Histories
- ·Depression risk befalls most young Korean moms: study