Which cross-contamination prevention measure is described?

• A. Use separate chopping boards for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods
• B. Keep leftovers unrefrigerated
• C. Use the same knife for raw and cooked foods
• D. Store raw meats on the top shelf

Answer: (A)

Preventing cross-contamination relies on physically separating raw animal products from foods that won’t be cooked again. Using separate chopping boards for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods creates that barrier, so any bacteria on the raw meat can’t transfer to foods that won’t be cooked, or to surfaces and utensils that will touch other foods. Raw meat can carry pathogens like Salmonella or Campylobacter, and they can spread quickly through knives, boards, and hands if the same surface is used for both raw and ready-to-eat foods.

Other practices would increase risk or fail to stop contamination. Keeping leftovers unrefrigerated lets bacteria multiply, while using the same knife for raw and cooked foods spreads germs to cooked items. Storing raw meats on the top shelf can cause dripping onto ready-to-eat foods, which is unsafe. So using separate chopping boards targets the essential safeguard against cross-contamination.