Cross contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria or allergens from one item or food or work surface or person to food. It is one of the main causes of food poisoning.
Examples
- If raw uncooked meat is kept beside or touches cooked food
- A food worker sneezing or coughing onto food.
- If you use the same chopping board and knife for raw meat and then cooked meat without washing and disinfecting the board and knife.
- Using the same scales to weigh wheat flour and then gluten free flour.
- Open bags of flour in a store
Cross Contamination can be of direct cross contamination and indirect cross contamination.