As if the thought of those kitchen germs giving you food poisoning wasn't scary enough, it is estimated that every year millions of people all over the world become ill from pathogens or disease-causing substances in food.

There are actually invisible germs in your kitchen. The truth is you can't see or smell most of the kitchen germs that grow on your food. They don't even change the color or texture of a dish. That's one of the reasons why I am absolutely rabid about keeping the food I eat and prepare as bacteria-free as practically possible.

There  are three ways that bacteria can enter the  kitchen (and therefore our mouths): before, during and after kitchen preparation and cooking:

Before: It's contaminated before we even bring the food home. During: it's contaminated sometime during the preparation and cooking. After: it's contaminated post-preparation and/or during storage.

The good news is there are lots of ways you can prevent bacteria from growing on your food. Step 1 is to keep the kitchen clean to control germs.

Sponges and towels are major culprits. These kitchen helpers can provide a warm and moist environment, with lots of surface area, and they're tough to really clean and sanitize. A plastic-type scrub brush makes a good alternative, possibly resisting bacteria a bit better. If you're going to use sponges and towels, wash them weekly in very hot water.

Before you even begin to pull the food out to prepare, make sure all utensils and countertops have been cleaned with hot, soapy water before and after use.  Kitchen sinks are also a danger spot. It's a great idea to sanitise your sink, drain, and disposal as often as possible using a diluted bleach solution of one teaspoon bleach to one quart of hot water.

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