Cross-contamination in the kitchen can be avoided by which practice?

• A. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat foods
• B. Wash hands before handling food
• C. Refrigerate leftovers promptly
• D. Put raw meat in the same container as ready-to-eat foods without washing

Answer: (D)

Cross-contamination happens when bacteria from raw meat transfer to foods that will not be cooked further. The most effective single practice to prevent this is using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and for ready-to-eat foods. Keeping these surfaces dedicated minimizes the chance that pathogens on raw meat are carried to prepared foods via knives, boards, countertops, or containers. Remember to sanitize or wash the boards between uses and wash hands after handling raw meat to prevent any transfer.

Other practices are important for overall safety, but they don’t prevent transfer as directly: washing hands helps hygiene, refrigerating leftovers slows bacterial growth, and putting raw meat in the same container as ready-to-eat foods without washing greatly increases contamination risk.