What is cross-contamination?

Cross-contamination refers specifically to the transfer of harmful substances or microorganisms from one food or surface to another. This process can occur when raw foods, particularly meat, poultry, or seafood, come into contact with cooked or ready-to-eat foods, utensils, equipment, or surfaces that are not properly sanitized.

Understanding cross-contamination is essential for food safety because it can lead to foodborne illnesses when pathogens are spread in the kitchen. For example, if a cutting board used for raw chicken is not cleaned thoroughly before it is used to prepare a salad, bacteria from the chicken can contaminate the salad and pose a significant health risk. Recognizing and preventing cross-contamination is a key responsibility for food service managers and staff to ensure the safety of the food served to consumers.

The other options describe important food safety concerns, but they do not define cross-contamination directly. For instance, cooking food at improper temperatures relates to cooking methods and temperature control, while mixing raw and cooked foods and using contaminated water pertain to practices that can lead to unsafe food but do not capture the essence of how cross-contamination occurs.