If you work with food, it’s important to avoid contamination at all costs. This blog post will explain what is cross contact and what are examples?
What Is Cross Contact?
Cross contact is when an allergen from one food item comes into contact with another food item. It can happen during preparation, such as a peanut butter sandwich made on bread that was cut with a knife previously used to cut bread with peanut butter. Or it can happen during service, such as a bowl of vegetable soup that is garnished with cheese croutons (which may contain dairy). There are many other ways for cross contact to occur, so it’s important for you to be aware of all the ways in which your food might come into contact with contamination from an allergen.
What Are 4 Examples Of Cross-Contact?
Cross-contact can occur in numerous ways, and it is important to understand these ways in order to prevent it. Some examples of cross-contact include:
- Sharing of utensils (e.g., tongs and spatulas) during food preparation
- Using the same cutting boards to prepare foods that require different cooking temperatures (e.g., raw meat and ready-to-eat vegetables)
- Storing cooked food on the same platter or in the same container as raw food
- Unintentional or intentional contamination by a food handler who is not following proper hand washing procedures
What Is The Risk In Cross Contact?
Allergen cross-contact occurs when a food that does not contain allergens comes in contact with food that does. When this occurs, the safe, allergen-free food becomes contaminated and can pose a serious health risk to anyone allergic to the contaminants within it.
Cross contact refers to the transfer of an allergen from an allergenic food to a non-allergenic food. There are three risks associated with cross contact:
Food Product Damage
Cross-contact occurs when a food allergen gets into a food that’s not supposed to have it. Cross-contact can happen when a food is being prepared, but it also can occur during storage or even in the field.
Undetected Cross-Contamination
When foods are cross-contaminated, customers may not be aware of the risk because some allergens don’t change the color, smell or taste of the food. When people with food allergies eat even trace amounts of an allergen, they may experience severe allergic reactions.
Unsafe Processes
Some food processors use unsafe processes, such as using the same equipment for two different types of foods during production. This can cause cross-contamination.
This is why it’s important to take steps to prevent cross-contact in your kitchen or restaurant. It is also important for those with allergies to understand how to prevent cross contact at home, in restaurants, and elsewhere.
Summing Up
Cross Contact means that one product, for example fish, comes into direct contact with another product and so is contaminated. The allergen in the first product comes into contact with an allergen in the second product and contamination happens.
With proper precautions, cross contact is one of the easiest issues to avoid in food preparation. It especially important to take extra measures when cooking for a group or family with specific needs – Cross contact can easily cause food allergies if you do not pay close attention while cooking.
