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How can food handlers control the potential for cross contamination ?
To answer this question, we need first to answer some other questions
This post shall be a good chance to identify the cross contamination
Also to find some of the most common cross contamination causes.
After that we will answer our main question by discussing some practices to avoid cross contamination.
What is cross contamination
Cross contamination is an expression used widely in food safety
It is the transfer of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi from one food to another
This lead to food contamination which is responsible for food illness
Approximately 7% of the world population are suffering these illnesses annually.
And not less than 400,000 die every year due to these complications.
So, monitoring and preventing cross contamination is essential for food safety.
This hazard starts from the very beginning even before the food processing stages.
Starting from food selection, shopping, storage, preparation and serving.
Here you can find the most common bacteria responsible for food born illness
In the next section we will discuss the common reasons behind cross contamination.
The most common causes of cross contamination
Here are some of the most common causes behind cross contamination
Improper food material storage.
It can start with improper storage of food material
Like when we store row meat, poultry or sea food side by side with cooked food
This will allow the juices which contain microorganisms to contaminate the cooked food
Another example is when refrigerating all foods in one refrigerator
It is usually recommended to separate raw meat from raw vegetables
and also to ensure the proper storage temperatures for each.
Thawing frozen foods
Thawing frozen meat at room temperature is risky.
It is a perfect environment for growing bacteria.
Which then can contaminate either other foods or the entire preparation area.
Cutting boards usage
One of the most common mistakes is to share the cutting boards for all foods.
Especially when we use the same cutting board for cutting both raw and cooked meat
This can enhance the bacterial spread and cause cross contamination.
inadequate Handwashing
Even these bacteria can be transferred when we neglect handwashing
If we were handling raw material then we managed to handle some prepared foods
This can cause cross contamination also.
Sharing cooking equipment.
When workers use the same equipment for food preparation (knives, tongs or spatulas)
This practice facilitate the transfer of harmful microorganisms between foods.
It is very important to wash these tools properly after any use
And it is more recommended to use separate tools for each type of food.
These were just some of the common causes leading to cross contamination.
And now it is time to answer the main question
how can food handlers control the potential for cross contamination ?
How to prevent cross contamination
Many controls can help preventing cross contamination
we will just mention some of these practices
- First of all, make sure that your stuff are competent
- Always separate meat, sea foods and poultry from other food material
- Personal hygiene is very crucial and can help to avoid cross contamination.
- Using disposable PPE while preparing food and make sure to dispose them properly.
- Proper and regular housekeeping and cleaning for the kitchen.
- Follow the color-code while using cutting boards and cutting equipment.
- Make sure that all equipment and cutting boards are stored clean after usage.
- Regular replacement of cutting boards if they became excessively worn.
- Always use clean plates for food serving.
Always remember that cross contamination is life threatening
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