The biggest food hygiene mistakes of all time revealed

Having doggo in the kitchen could be seriously bad for your health. Photo / Getty

Most of us know that keeping our kitchens clean is essential to prevent ourselves and our families from getting ill.

According to the Daily Mail, many of us are making some very dangerous food hygiene mistakes when we cook in the kitchen or on the barbecue, the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) has revealed.

It has created a list of the most common pitfalls people make while cooking that could seriously endanger your health ahead of its new e-learning course in Food Safety.

1. "YOU CAN EAT IT IF IT SMELLS AND LOOKS OKAY"

There is a common misconception that if food looks and smells okay, it's safe to use - even if it's past its sell-by or use-by date.

But food safety experts from the RSPH say that harmful bacteria can be present in food without affecting the smell or the appearance.

They say you should judge food by how long you have had it.

2. HAVING PETS IN THE KITCHEN

If you keep your pooches in the kitchen and let your cat jump on the worktop, then you're committing a major food hygiene faux pas, say the experts.

They say pets spread dangerous pathogens which could contaminate your food.

They recommend keeping your furry friends out of the kitchen altogether.

3. WASHING RAW CHICKEN

Everyone knows how important it is to cook chicken all the way through, as about 60 per cent of all raw chicken bought at the supermarket contains harmful campylobacter, which can give you food poisoning.

But if you regularly wash your chicken before cooking it, stop at once, say the experts.

Washing raw chicken can mean the campylobacter can spread to other surfaces in the kitchen, and potentially contaminate other food.

4. ONLY USING ONE PAIR OF TONGS AT A BARBECUE

Most people cooking at a barbecue only focus on preventing the burgers and sausages from burning, but they should also use more than one pair of tongs for different foods.

If you're tossing raw meat, cooked meat and salads with the same tongs, it could lead to dangerous cross-contamination, the experts say.

5. DEFROSTING FOOD ON THE COUNTER

Food should defrost slowly in the fridge as they will be less susceptible to temperature fluctuations which can lead to harmful bacteria growing on your food, according to Verity Mann, head of testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute.