Handling the dog's RAW meals really is no different than handling one's own meat before cooking. I have a designated cutting board, knife, etc. In order to keep the bacteria level on my countertops and the dog's areas to a minimum, I have a spray bottle with parts white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice and water. I want to keep everything non toxic for their health and my own. I also use a non chemical dish washing liquid found at Health Stores as I don't want any chemical residue on my babies food and water dishes. I use that in conjunction with a natural sponge and and toss it in the washer every other day. I use latex gloves when handling the meat (I'm a prey model feeder) but that's more for my dog's benefit to avoid cross contamination. If you're concerned about the medallions being too cold, you could try running a little warm water over them while they're in the bowl already, mash it all up with a plastic fork then toss the fork in the trash. Washing the food and water bowls once a day is fine in my book but after every meal is fine, too!
I purchased a fridge/freezer just for the dog's meats as to keep them separate from our own and because with 3 dogs I needed more storage space of course. I have a little child myself. Remember, even kibble and other types of foods can carry transferable bacteria. As long as RAW is not to be feared as the Anti Christ of clean and sanitary living and certain precautions are being made, then the entire household should live happily together!
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