Which practice minimizes contamination when handling different foods?

• A. Using color-coded utensils for different foods
• B. Reusing the same utensils
• C. Not washing surfaces
• D. Not necessary to separate foods

Answer: (B)

Preventing cross-contamination during food handling is the key idea. Using color-coded utensils for different foods creates a clear, quick rule to keep tools assigned to specific items, so residues or microbes from one food don’t transfer to another. Reusing the same utensils without cleaning introduces cross-contamination because bacteria or allergens can be carried from one food to the next. Not washing surfaces leaves any bacteria already present on cutting boards and countertops to persist and spread, and not separating foods—especially raw versus ready-to-eat items—allows contamination to occur more easily.