Cross-Contamination Prevention Flashcards

What is the correct procedure if a food worker accidentally drops a raw chicken breast on a prep counter where vegetables are being cut?

Answer: Remove the chicken, then wash, rinse, and sanitize the entire surface before resuming vegetable prep

The entire surface must be properly cleaned and sanitized to eliminate all bacterial contamination before any other food prep continues.

Which practice is an example of direct cross-contamination?

Answer: Placing a cooked steak back on the same plate that held the raw steak

Returning cooked food to the raw-food plate directly transfers bacteria from the unwashed plate to the safely cooked food.

What is the primary purpose of using separate cutting boards for different food types?

Answer: To prevent the transfer of pathogens or allergens from one food to another

Separate cutting boards create a physical barrier between different food types, preventing pathogens and allergens from transferring between them.

A food worker stirs raw beef stew with a spoon and then uses the same spoon to taste-test a sauce without washing it. This represents what type of hazard?

Answer: Biological cross-contamination

Using the same utensil on raw and cooked/ready foods transfers live bacteria, causing biological cross-contamination.

Which type of food contamination occurs when a food handler's earring falls into a salad bowl?

Answer: Physical contamination

Physical contamination involves foreign objects (jewelry, hair, glass, bones) entering food, which can cause injury or choking.

When should a food handler change their gloves to prevent cross-contamination?

Answer: After touching raw meat, before touching ready-to-eat food, after four hours of continuous use, and when switching tasks

Gloves must be changed at critical transition points — between raw and ready-to-eat foods, after contamination, and regularly during extended use.