Food Safety: Prevent Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria, viruses, or other contaminants from one food get into another food without the two foods touching. This happens when contaminants from one food contaminate a surface such as a cutting board, utensil, hand, glove, etc. If that surface is not cleaned and sanitized before another food is touches that surface, the second food becomes contaminated.

For example, if an employee is cutting fresh chicken and then uses the same cutting board and knife to cut lettuce without first washing and sanitizing the cutting board and knife, the bacteria from the chicken will go onto the board and knife and from there to the lettuce. The chicken is cooked, killing the bacteria. But the lettuce is not cooked, so the bacteria grow and people become sick.

If the employee does not wash his/her hands before cutting the lettuce, cross-contamination will occur. Sometimes employees think it is enough to wear gloves. It is not. If the employee puts on gloves without washing his/her hands, the gloves become contaminated in the process of putting on the gloves and the gloves then contaminate the lettuce.

Cleaning, sanitizing, and proper personal hygiene are critical to prevent cross-contamination.