Our homes may be an ideal place for microorganism to flourish if we fail to prevent cross contamination in our home. Cross Contamination is when we carry bacteria from one object to another object; from one object to a person; or from person to person. We can cross contaminate our food by failing to wash our hands before we cook and Failing to use separate plates for cooked and uncooked food.

Failing to prevent cross contamination in your home may result in foodborne illnesses. Which may causes diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and abdominal cramps. You can prevent cross contamination by using the following suggestions:

* Wash your hands thoroughly. Before you prepare and cook your food, this step is important to prevent contamination from the restroom. It is also important to wash hands after preparing raw meat. You prevent spreading the germs from the uncooked meat to the cooked meat. If you sneeze or cough it is also important to wash your hands to prevent spreading illness.

* Use separate dishtowels or sponges for each stage of preparation. These may be a haven for bacteria. If you clean the counter off after preparing uncooked meat, make sure you use a different towel or sponge. You can rid them of bacteria by soaking in a bleach solution for a couple of hours.

* Keep raw and cooked foods separate from each other. Don't use the same containers. In addition, don't put on the same shelf of the refrigerator. Place raw meats on the bottom shelf in the event that it leaks it will not contaminate your other food.

* While you are cooking, also use separate cooking utensils. For example, avoid using the same spatula you used on raw food to serve the cooked food.

Cross contamination can be avoided by using the above techniques and using common sense. Protect yourself and your family from harmful bacteria, which may make you sick.