Which practice is essential to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen?

Using separate utensils for raw and cooked foods is essential to prevent cross-contamination because it minimizes the risk of pathogens from raw foods contaminating ready-to-eat foods. Raw foods, such as meat and poultry, may harbor harmful bacteria that can transfer to cooked foods if the same utensils are used without proper cleaning in between. By using distinct utensils for each category, the chances of cross-contamination are significantly reduced, ensuring food safety.

This practice is fundamental in any food handling environment, as one of the key principles of food safety is to keep raw and cooked items separate. Other practices, such as washing hands after touching raw food or cooking food to the proper temperature, also contribute to food safety, but using separate utensils directly addresses the issue of preventing cross-contamination at the point of food preparation.