MSU Extension Safe Food & Water

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes cross-contamination as the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods or food contact surfaces and utensils. It is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. Unfortunately, harmful bacteria in food cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted; however, there are simple steps you can take to keep you and your family safe when handling food.

FoodSafety.gov outlines the four key steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill. While all these steps are important when selecting, storing, and handling food to prevent foodborne illness, “separate” is key in preventing cross-contamination. Because bacteria are impossible to detect by sight, taste or smell, it is critical to keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods, such as cooked food, deli meat and pre-cut fruits and veggies. These raw foods require a minimum internal temperature to cook out harmful bacteria. If raw foods come in contact with food that is ready to eat, the bacteria can transfer and be consumed, which can lead to a serious foodborne illness.

Below are the USDA’s guidelines for preventing cross-contamination.

Hand Washing

• First and foremost, proper handwashing is always the first step before handling food. Wash your hands with soap and warm, running water for a minimum of 20 seconds, thoroughly scrubbing between fingers and under fingernails.
• A Rutgers led study found that spice jars used during food preparation were the germiest surface in a kitchen. This reinforces the importance of washing hands when handling raw meat, as well as cleaning and sanitizing spice jars, as well as other food contact surfaces.  

Grocery shopping

• Select raw meat, poultry, and seafood in tightly sealed packaging.
• Wrap raw items in plastic bags provided at the meat counter to prevent any juices or liquids from leaking.
• Keep raw items separate from produce and other items in your cart (i.e., store meat, poultry, and seafood on the bottom rack of the cart, separate from all other items).

Storing food at home

• It’s important to keep your refrigerator clean. Produce drawers, shelves, and other compartments can collect germs and other debris that, if not regularly cleaned, can contaminate food. USDA suggests throwing out perishable foods from the refrigerator once a week.
  • It’s recommended to clean and disinfect the inside of your refrigerator every couple of months.
• Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs should be stored in securely wrapped packages and/or containers away from other foods in the fridge that can become easily contaminated.
• Never store raw meat, poultry, or seafood above produce, cooked food or beverages. The juices from these raw foods can leak down onto the other items and contaminate them with harmful bacteria.

Preparing Food

• Clean and sanitize countertops, cutting boards and all utensils before prepping food.
• Cut meat and produce in separate areas and/or at separate times. Never cut produce on the same cutting board that was used to cut raw meat, poultry or seafood. If the same cutting board is to be used, be sure to properly clean and sanitize the cutting board between uses.
  • Having different colored cutting boards for different types of food can be a great way to prevent contamination (i.e., yellow for poultry, red for meat, blue for seafood and green for produce).

Marinating Food

• Marinades for raw meat, poultry, and seafood can contain harmful bacteria. Keep marinating food in the refrigerator and throw excess marinade out after removing the raw food.
  • If you want to use extra marinade to make a sauce or to brush onto food as it cooks, reserve a portion of the marinade before you add the raw meat to use for later or bring used marinade to a boil then it can be used on cooked items.

Stovetop or Grill

• Utensils used for stirring or flipping food on the stovetop or grill can become contaminated with bacteria when they come in contact with raw meat, poultry or seafood. Be sure to replace or clean and sanitize these utensils before using them with cooked food.
• If you have raw meat on a plate or cutting board before adding it to a pan or the grill, clean and sanitize it or replace it with a new cutting board or plate before placing the cooked food on the surface.

 Whether you’re shopping, storing, preparing, or cooking food, be mindful to separate your raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from other food items. Remember that separation is key in preventing cross-contamination and can help reduce the spread of harmful bacteria. Keep yourself and your family safe with these basic guidelines and keep foodborne illnesses out.