Which practice reduces the risk of cross-contamination when handling raw poultry?

Which practice reduces the risk of cross-contamination when handling raw poultry?

• A. Use separate cutting boards for raw poultry and ready-to-eat foods
• B. Share cutting boards between raw poultry and ready-to-eat foods
• C. Store raw poultry above ready-to-eat foods
• D. Wash hands only after cooking

Answer: (A)

Preventing cross-contamination starts with keeping raw poultry separate from foods that won’t be cooked before eating. Raw poultry can carry bacteria that cause illness, and those bacteria can spread easily through surfaces, utensils, and hands. Using a separate cutting board for raw poultry and for ready-to-eat foods creates a clear physical barrier, so any juices or residues from the poultry don’t transfer to foods that won’t be cooked, reducing the chance of bringing bacteria into your finished dish. Storing raw poultry above ready-to-eat foods increases the risk of drips or splashes reaching those foods, which defeats the purpose of separation. The safe approach is to keep raw poultry stored lower in the fridge, ideally in a leak-proof container, to prevent any drips from contaminating other items. Washing hands only after cooking ignores the moments during preparation when hands can transfer bacteria to other surfaces, utensils, or foods. Hands should be washed before handling food and after handling raw poultry, as well as between handling different tasks, to minimize cross-contact. So, using separate cutting boards is the most effective, consistent way to minimize cross-contamination when handling raw poultry.

Preventing cross-contamination starts with keeping raw poultry separate from foods that won’t be cooked before eating. Raw poultry can carry bacteria that cause illness, and those bacteria can spread easily through surfaces, utensils, and hands. Using a separate cutting board for raw poultry and for ready-to-eat foods creates a clear physical barrier, so any juices or residues from the poultry don’t transfer to foods that won’t be cooked, reducing the chance of bringing bacteria into your finished dish.

Storing raw poultry above ready-to-eat foods increases the risk of drips or splashes reaching those foods, which defeats the purpose of separation. The safe approach is to keep raw poultry stored lower in the fridge, ideally in a leak-proof container, to prevent any drips from contaminating other items.

Washing hands only after cooking ignores the moments during preparation when hands can transfer bacteria to other surfaces, utensils, or foods. Hands should be washed before handling food and after handling raw poultry, as well as between handling different tasks, to minimize cross-contact.

So, using separate cutting boards is the most effective, consistent way to minimize cross-contamination when handling raw poultry.