Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful microorganisms from one food item to another by either:

a food contact surface
raw food to cooked food

Food Contact Surfaces

Food contact sources are items that food either touches or comes in contact with that can be contaminated by that particular food. An example would be a cutting board. Let’s say we cut a steak on a cutting board to remove the excess fat with a knife. That cutting board has now become a food-contact source.

What else in that scenario would be considered a food-contact source? The knife, the cutting board and our hands all have the ability to be sources of cross-contamination if not properly cleaned.

Possible cross-contamination sources:

Hands
Cutting boards
Countertops
Dish towels
Sinks
Utensils
Refrigerator shelves and drawers
Dishes

Bacteria can travel in a blink of an eye. In lesson 2 we talked about the importance of washing our hands. Hands can spread bacteria from the meat to the door or cupboard handles, hand towels, faucet handles, refrigerator doors, trashcan lids, etc. As you can see, there are many ways to transfer bacteria from food, which is why it’s important to stay clean to prevent cross-contamination from occurring. It is a good idea to wipe up spills with disposable paper towels and to change your dishcloths often.

Raw and Ready-to-eat Food

The second way cross-contamination can occur is when a raw food comes in contact with a ready-to-eat or cooked food.

Examples would be storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food in the refrigerator. Meat juices could then drip onto the food below and contaminate the food. Always place raw meat on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Reusing marinades from raw meat is also a food safety hazard. Leftover marinades should always be discarded and never used on any cooked product.

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