The New York Times recently reported that every year, 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the U.S., leading to about 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. And this startling fact hit home recently when Alicia’s 82 year old mother-in-law was hospitalized for 3 days with a mystery illness that turned out to be E. coli. (She’s home now and responding well to treatment.) With the egg recall, we’ve started thinking (worrying?) more than ever before about getting sick from basic foods you trust to be safe. What are you doing to germ-proof your kitchen?

Here are a few of our favorite strategies:

Buy nonporous cutting boards in different colors so that at a glance you know which one is for meat and which is designated for veggies. Wash them in the dishwasher.

Keep a spray bottle of antibacterial solution next to the kitchen faucet, (out in the open so you don’t forget), and squirt down the sink and counters at least daily, but preferably after everything you cook.

• Sponges are germ trappers, pure and simple! We throw our sponges into the dishwasher daily or in with the laundry to disinfect. And do the sniff test -- if it smells the slightest bit off, throw it out.
• Wash your hands. A lot. Seems simple, but forgetting can be hazardous to your health!
• Wash your lettuce, even if the bag says triple washed. A salad spinner makes the job lots easier.
• While you’re at it, wash all fruits and veggies before consuming. Organic produce signals no pesticides but it doesn’t do squat for preventing E. coli.
• Finally, there’s the old wives’ montra: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

So, let us know what you’re doing in the comments section following this post!