Preventing Food Contamination: Essential Tips for Every Chef

Cross-contamination is what happens when bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one object to another. The most common example is the transfer of bacteria between raw and cooked food.

This is thought to be the cause of most foodborne infections. For example, when you’re preparing raw chicken, bacteria can spread to your chopping board, knife, and hands and could cause food poisoning.

Cross-contamination can also happen when bacteria are transferred in ways that are less obvious. For example, the drips and splashes produced if meat is washed can contaminate other surfaces.

Bacterial cross-contamination is most likely to happen when raw food touches or drips onto ready-to-eat food, utensils, or surfaces. You can avoid it by:

Preparing Food Hygienically

• wash hands before preparing food

• make sure any surfaces you are using for food prep are clean

• if possible, use different utensils, plates, and chopping boards for raw and cooked food

• wash utensils, plates, and chopping boards for raw and cooked food thoroughly between tasks

• make sure you do not wash raw meat

• wash your hands after touching raw food and before you handle ready-to-eat food

Storing Food Effectively

• cover raw food, including meat, and keeping it separate from ready-to-eat food in the fridge

• store covered raw meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish on the bottom shelf of your fridge

• use any dish that has a lip to prevent spillages from the raw foods

• use different utensils, plates, and chopping boards for raw and cooked food, if possible