Even the healthiest ingredients can become harmful if not handled or cooked properly.
Certain common kitchen habits may seem harmless, but they can actually turn your meals into a health risk.
Below are six cooking mistakes that can contaminate food, cause illness, or reduce its safety — and how to avoid them.
1. Undercooking meat and poultry
Failing to cook meat thoroughly can leave harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter alive.
How to fix it: Use a food thermometer. Cook poultry to 165°F (74°C), ground beef to 160°F (71°C), and pork to 145°F (63°C) with a short resting time.
2. Improper reheating of rice
Cooked rice can contain Bacillus cereus, a bacteria that produces heat-resistant toxins if rice sits out too long.
How to fix it: Cool rice quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour, and reheat until piping hot throughout. Never leave cooked rice at room temp for hours.
3. Using the wrong oil at high heat
Oils like extra virgin olive oil or unrefined oils can smoke and break down, releasing harmful compounds.
How to fix it: For high-heat cooking (like frying), use oils with high smoke points such as avocado, refined peanut, or grapeseed oil.
4. Cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods
Bacteria from raw meat can transfer to ready-to-eat food through shared knives, cutting boards, or hands.
How to fix it: Use separate utensils and cutting boards, and wash hands and surfaces after handling raw meat.
5. Thawing frozen food on the counter
Room temperature allows bacteria to multiply on the outer surface of meat before the inside has thawed.
How to fix it: Thaw food in the refrigerator, cold water (in a sealed bag), or microwave only if cooking immediately afterward.
6. Eating moldy or spoiled food
Some molds produce toxins that cooking can’t destroy, and spoiled food may contain harmful bacteria.
How to fix it: If food smells odd, has mold (especially on soft foods), or looks questionable — don’t taste it, just toss it.
