PREVENTING CROSS-CONTAMINATION

Cross contamination of food happens when harmful microorganisms from a raw food (such as meat or vegetables) is transferred to a ready-to eat food (such as salad or sandwiches).  Ready-to-eat foods will not be prepared or cooked any further, so contamination at this point can lead to food poisoning. 

It is important to prevent cross contamination and be conscious of it while preparing food.  Some tips to prevent cross contamination are listed below.

·        Cover foods as much as possible.

·        Store raw meats separate from ready-to-eat foods.

·        In the refrigerator, store raw foods on the bottom shelves and ready-to-eat foods on the top shelves.

·        Wash hands after handling raw meats, eggs or vegetables.

·        Designate separate cutting boards for raw meats or clean and sanitize cutting boards between use for different foods.

·        Clean and sanitize knives between uses on different foods and place only sanitized knives back in their racks.

·        Sanitize any utensil, equipment, or food contact surface after it has been in contact with raw foods, especially meat or eggs.

·        Never move boxes or containers that may have been stored on the floor onto counter tops.

For more information on safe food handling, contact your local Public Health Inspector at the Health Unit.