Cross-Contamination Prevention and Separation of Raw and Ready-to-Eat Foods
This domain tests how you separate raw foods from ready-to-eat (RTE) foods during storage, preparation and service. Cross-contamination is one of the most common causes of food poisoning and is highly examinable.
Separation rules
- Store raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs below cooked and RTE foods in the fridge, in covered containers on a tray.
- Use separate fridges where possible, or separate shelves with physical barriers.
- Use colour-coded boards and knives: for example, red for raw meat, blue for raw fish, green for salad and fruit, yellow for cooked meat, white for dairy and bakery.
- Clean and disinfect boards, knives, slicers and surfaces between raw and RTE tasks.
- Never use the same cloth for raw juices and food-contact surfaces; use disposable towels or change cloths frequently.
- Do not wash raw chicken; splashing spreads Campylobacter around the sink and nearby surfaces.
- Do not reuse marinade that has touched raw meat unless it is boiled first.
Worked example
A fridge has raw chicken on the top shelf and a bowl of coleslaw on the shelf below. Reasoning: chicken juices can drip onto the coleslaw, which is RTE and will not be cooked. Move the chicken to the bottom shelf in a covered container on a tray; keep the coleslaw above and covered. If juices have already dripped, discard the coleslaw and clean and disinfect the fridge.
Traps
- Wiping a board with a damp cloth does not disinfect it.
- Colour-coding only works if staff actually follow it under pressure.
- “It’s only a small drop” is still contamination.