Cross contamination occurs when germs are transferred from one food item or surface to another. It can happen through contaminated hands, equipment, or utensils. To prevent cross contamination, foods should be stored and prepared separately with raw foods below ready-to-eat foods. Good hygiene practices like hand washing and cleaning food surfaces are important. Cross contamination is avoided by keeping raw and cooked foods apart during storage, preparation, serving, and using clean utensils and surfaces for each.

1. Cross
Contamination

2. What is Cross Contamination
•The transfer of germs from one food item to another
•Transferred to a cooked or ready-to-eat food via
contaminated hands, equipment or utensils.
•Contaminated food contains germs or harmful substance
that can cause food borne illness.

3. Types of Cross Contamination

4. Important things to remember
• Always store cooked and ready-to-eat foods over
raw products
• Keep raw and ready to eat foods separate during
storage
• Use good personal hygiene and hand washing
• Keep all food-contact surfaces clean and sanitary
• Avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods

5. Avoiding Cross Contamination
There are many things you can do to avoid, or at least reduce,
opportunities for cross contamination during food preparation and service. An
important part of food safety is to impress upon your employees the importance
of clean hands and clothing.
To avoid cross contamination by way of food-contact surfaces (e.i., cutting
boards, knife blades, slicers, and preparation tables) an effective in-house
cleaning and sanitation
Provide on going supervision to ensure employees remain clean and
apply safe food handling practices when working with food
Once bacteria get on the surface, they can be difficult to remove. To
avoid such a buildup, always clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces
thoroughly before working with ready-to-eat foods and foods that will not be heat
processed.

6. Preventive measures to eliminate the possibility of cross
contamination between product and may include the ff.:
• Preparation of ready to eat foods first- then raw
foods
• Preparation of raw and ready to eat foods in
separate areas of the kitchen

7. Always keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat
foods
• In the refrigerator, ready to eat foods must be
stored above raw foods. Display cases, such as
those use to display seafood items, should be
designed to keep raw and cooked food items
separate. In addition separate buckets in place
of sanitizing solution and wiping cloths should
be used for cleaning food contact surfaces in raw
and ready-to-eat food production areas.

8. Other sources of Contamination
•Raw foods

9. • Utensils used to dispense
and served foods

10. • Germs from a
• Animals worker’s mouth

11. Solution
WHEN SHOPPING:
• Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in the grocery cart. Place these
foods in plastic bags to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods.
WHEN STORING:
• Place raw meat, poultry and seafood in containers or sealed bags to prevent their juices
from dripping.
WHEN PREPARING:
• Wash hands and surfaces often. Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the food
preparation area and contaminate cutting boards, utensils, counter tops and the preparer's
hands.
• Wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food.
• Use soap and hot water to clean kitchen surfaces. Use a sanitizer to clean spills and kitchen
counter tops.
• Wash, rinse and sanitize cutting boards
WHEN SERVING:
• Always use a clean plate or serving utensils. Never place cooked food on the same plate
that previously held raw food. Change utensils when you change products.