Cross-contamination is where bacteria from a contamination source (i.e. raw meat) gets onto a high-risk (cooked/ ready to eat) product. This is a major cause of food poisoning. It can happen so easily in a kitchen.
There are two main ways:
1. Direct cross-contamination: the source of the bacteria comes into contact with the food. An example would be raw meat in a fridge physically touching cooked meat. Or raw meat juices dripping onto a ready-to-eat product (such as a cream cake).
2. Indirect cross-contamination: bacteria contaminate food through a vehicle. Vehicles include; hands, knives, utensils, chopping boards, cleaning cloths, door handles, switches, taps, surfaces, equipment, packaging, machinery and sinks.
Some ways to control cross-contamination:
- Ensuring that raw and ready to eat foods are separated at all times.
- Using single-use disposable or colour coded cloths for cleaning.
- Ensuring thorough cleaning and disinfection is in place.
- Using separate sinks for hand washing, for washing food and for washing equipment.
- Using separate equipment for preparing raw and cooked/ready-to-eat foods such as colour coded utensils and chopping boards.
- Where possible, preparing raw and cooked/ready-to-eat foods in separate areas.
- Following current guidance in relation to the use of complex equipment. For example; if you vacuum pack food, you can’t use the same vacuum packing machine for both raw and cooked/ready-to-eat foods.
- Ensuring that all food is covered / packaged adequately when not being prepared.
- Ensuring that premises are free from pests at all times.
- Minimising the handling of food.
- Reducing the number of surfaces that food comes into contact with.
- Reducing the number of surfaces hands need to touch i.e. replace hand operated taps with sensor or knee/elbow/ foot operated taps.
- Maintaining high levels of personal hygiene.
- Ensuring hands are washed regularly.
- Food handlers must be adequately trained, instructed and supervised.