The Best Ways To Prevent Cross-Contamination

When you run a restaurant, food safety is a top priority. After all, you don’t want your customers to get sick – and you also don’t want to get bad reviews or a reputation as a restaurant that makes people ill. While you may not be able to prevent all food-borne illnesses in a restaurant, taking certain steps to reduce cross-contamination can help.

Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria from one item are transferred to another, allowing for the spread of harmful germs. It is important to reduce cross-contamination as much as possible to reduce the likelihood of customers getting sick or even dying from a foodborne illness like E. coli. There are many simple yet effective steps that your staff can take, such as frequently washing hands and sanitizing equipment and counters, to avoid cross-contamination.

Budget Branders know that running a restaurant, boba shop, food truck, or other food service business can be challenging. Our goal is to make one aspect of being a small business owner easier – getting high-quality custom-printed promotional products for a fair price. Reach out to our branding team today to learn more about our line of custom plastic cups, custom napkins, custom paper bags, custom coffee sleeves, and more.

What Is Cross-Contamination and Why Is It Important to Prevent It?

Every year, approximately 600 million people globally are sickened by a food-borne illness. There are many potential causes of these illnesses, such as improperly canned food or prepared food that has been left out at an unsafe temperature for too long. Another major cause of foodborne illness is bacterial cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is exactly what it sounds like – the transfer of bacteria (or other microorganisms) from one item to another. It can happen at any stage of food production or preparation.

Bacterial contamination is something that we should all be concerned about for several reasons. While a person might not get sick every time that cross-contamination occurs, even mild side effects – like upset stomach, loss of appetite, nausea, headache, and diarrhea – can be challenging. In more severe cases, a person might suffer from symptoms like fever, dehydration, bloody stools, long-lasting diarrhea, organ failure, and even death for higher-risk populations. People who are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from food-borne illnesses include children under the age of 5, people over the age of 65, anyone with a weakened immune system, and pregnant people.

Given the potential risks associated with cross-contamination, it is important for every restaurant and food service business to take steps to minimize the danger to customers. Below, we outline the best ways to prevent cross-contamination in your restaurant.

Types Of Cross-Contamination

Contaminants can be transferred to food in different ways. There are three main types of cross-contamination transfer: food-to-food, equipment-to-food, and people-to-food.

Food-To-Food Contamination

Food-to-food contamination occurs when contaminated food is added to non-contaminated food. This allows harmful bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, and listeria to spread. For example, unwashed lettuce added to a sandwich can cause food-to-food contamination. Common food sources of bacterial contamination include bean sprouts, soft cheese, deli meats, leftover rice, leafy greens, unpasteurized milk, raw eggs, meat, seafood, and poultry.

Equipment-To-Food Contamination

Equipment-to-food contamination occurs when food preparation, manufacturing, and/or storage equipment is not properly cleaned and sanitized. Many bacteria can survive for a long period of time on storage equipment, counters, utensils, manufacturing equipment, and cutting boards. For example, if you use the same cutting board and knife to cut up chicken and then to dice vegetables, you could get sick if the vegetables are then eaten raw. This category also includes things like improper canning of food, which can lead to cross-contamination and notably, illness related to botulism.

People-To-Food Contamination

People-to-food contamination happens when bacteria are transferred from a person’s body or clothes to food during preparation. For example, if a person sneezes while cooking and then doesn’t wash their hand, then any viruses or bacteria on their hands could be transferred into the food. Similarly, if you use a smartphone while cooking – which is something that most people rarely clean – it could contaminate the food or equipment that you are using.

Best Ways to Avoid Cross-Contamination in the Kitchen

As an initial matter, at least one person in any restaurant kitchen should have a food handler’s license. In most areas, getting a license requires taking a food safety course and passing an associated test (usually ServSafe). A food safety course will typically cover issues such as cross-contamination.

As a business, there are many other steps that you can take to reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination.

Preventing Cross-Contamination When Shopping

Do not purchase food close to its expiration date unless you intend to prepare it immediately
Separate your raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods

Preventing Cross-Contamination When Refrigerating Foods

Store raw meat in sealed containers or plastic bags on the bottom shelf of a refrigerator to avoid leaks dripping onto other foods
Use refrigerated food within 2 to 3 days, and cook it to proper temperatures
Refrigate eggs as soon as possible and store them in their original carton

Preventing Cross-Contamination When Preparing Foods

Cutting Boards

Wash and sanitize all utensils, cutting boards, storage containers, and other kitchen equipment
Use separate cutting boards for meat and produce

Employee & Surface Sanitation

Wash hands with soap and water regularly, including after touching raw meat or eggs, using the bathroom, coughing or sneezing, touching garbage, or using your phone
Thoroughly clean food preparation surfaces with a disinfectant
Change out dishcloths and kitchen towels regularly
Use gloves when handling raw food
Set a policy of employees staying home when sick

Meal Production

Maintain safe temperatures while thawing frozen ingredients
Wash produce thoroughly

Cook foods to the proper temperature
Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours
Marinate food in a refrigerator as opposed to marinating on the counter
Use separate marination sauces for raw meat and seafood

Preventing Cross-Contamination When Serving Foods

Plate food on dishware that has been thoroughly washed and sanitized
Do not plate cooked food on plates that previously held raw food

Employee Training Is Key

As a restaurant owner, you should be following up with employees regularly to ensure that these best practices are followed. When things get busy and your staff is in the weeds, it can be easy to abandon some of these precautions. Regularly scheduling staff training and refreshers on food safety can be a great way to ensure that your employees are taking this issue seriously.

Want to Grow Your Business? Give Budget Branders a Try.

Food safety is just one of many things that restaurant owners have to consider when trying to run a successful business. They also have to stay atop of things like marketing to ensure that customers keep coming to their restaurant. Using custom disposable products can often be helpful when trying to expand your reach without breaking your budget.

Based in Michigan, Budget Branders works with restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, and cafes across the United States. We offer the highest quality disposable products, including custom plastic cups, custom plastic stadium cups, custom coffee cups, custom coffee sleeves, custom ripple cups, custom soup bowls, custom ice cream bowls, custom sandwich bags, and more. All of our products are available in smaller quantities and are priced affordably to suit your budget.

If you’re considering using branded disposable products in your restaurant, we are happy to help. To learn more or to request a quote, contact us today by pressing the live chat button, or sending us a message online.

David Kranker

David Kranker has been working in and writing topics related to the food and beverage service industry since 2010. David continually monitors restaurant, bar, and coffee shop trends to keep a finger on the pulse of the food and beverage service industry. David has been writing for Budget Branders since 2020, where he's covered emerging trends like ghost kitchens, robot waiters, and the angel shot. David shares all of his insights on the Budget Branders blog to inform and entertain restaurant, bar, and coffee shop owners.

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