This is a thread I've always wanted to start!
Since this is going to be a thread that spans a lot of topics,
we'll just discuss things as and when we think of them. 
First topic in here... chopping boards!
Did you know that it's better to use wooden chopping boards over plastic
ones?
It's been discovered that bacteria actually find it tougher to
thrive on wooden chopping boards! Yes, the wooden board is more
resistant to bacterial buildup than plastic ones!
Ever notice that your plastic chopping boards often get knife
'scars' on the cutting surface? Germs that cause food poisoning, eg
Salmonella, which is commonly found in raw chicken, can actually
hide out in the knife-scarred nooks and crannies of a plastic
cutting board! 
Even if you scrub the plastic chopping board with hot water and
dishwashing detergent, old, scarred plastic boards would be
resistant to this decontamination process.
However, on wooden chopping boards, both old AND new, the bacteria
has been known to die off within three minutes! Researchers think
that one possible reason could be that the porous surface of the
wooden boards deprives the bacteria of water, causing them to
die.
So, choose the wooden chopping boards over the plastic ones!! And
if you have an old, badly-knife-scarred plastic board, it's time to
trash it... and get a wooden one!
Also, I know this is not a common habit in most households here but
please, please cultivate the habit of using different boards for
cutting different stuff, for eg... one for cutting raw meats and
poultry, and one for produce (ie. vegetables), bread and
fruits.
Imagine this, you have just sliced some raw meat on your chopping
board, and have given it a quick rinse (not enough, but more on
this later!). Because you have not washed it thoroughly, some
bacteria is lingering on it. Then you happily slice your apple on
it and pop it right into your mouth. 
That's one way of
getting food poisoning, if you're 'suay' (down on your luck).
Using different boards would eliminate cross-contamination. You'd
just need two anyways... one for raw meat, another for cooked food
or ready-to-eat food.
Granted, our grandparents didn't die doing that, but they weren't
exposed to a wide army of bacteria and microorganisms like we are
today either. And, when people died 'mysteriously' in their time,
nobody would ever know the real reason why anyways. 
So, folks! Get that wooden chopping board... and get more than one!
Next topic... priming your wooden chopping board for use (yes,
surprise! You actually are advised to do that! Not buy, wash, then
happily chop-chop away! hehe! ) and washing it
properly, the hygienic way!
Happy chopping!! 
Oi! Oi! No murders, please!!
