Cross-Contamination Prevention and Separation of Raw and Ready-to-Eat Foods
What is Cross-Contamination?
Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful microorganisms from one food (usually raw) to another (usually ready-to-eat, RTE). It can occur via direct contact (raw meat dripping onto RTE food), indirect contact (chopping boards, knives, hands, cloths), or airborne (splashes, aerosols).
Key Controls
- Separate raw and RTE foods in storage: raw meat below RTE foods in the fridge; use separate shelves.
- Colour-coded equipment: e.g., red for raw meat, green for vegetables, blue for raw fish, yellow for cooked meat.
- Clean and sanitize surfaces and equipment between tasks.
- Designate areas for raw preparation away from RTE preparation.
- Personal hygiene: wash hands after handling raw food; change gloves and aprons.
Traps in Questions
- Storing raw meat above RTE food in the fridge-always below.
- Using the same board for raw chicken and salad without cleaning and sanitizing.
- Assuming wiping with a cloth is enough-cloth can spread bacteria; use disposable or sanitized cloths.
- Overlooking drip from thawing meat.
Worked Example / Rule of Thumb
A fridge has raw chicken on the top shelf and a bowl of cooked pasta on the bottom. This is unsafe because juices can drip onto the pasta. Correct: raw chicken on the bottom shelf, pasta above. Rule of thumb: Raw below, RTE above; separate boards and knives; wash hands after raw.