Texas Food Safety Managers Practice Test

Which is an example of cross-contamination?

1. Storing tea and lemonade on adjacent containers

2. Storing bleach close to raw meat food prep areas

3. Using an unsanitized knife to cut raw meat then fruit

4. Wiping countertops with a dirty cloth

The correct answer is: Using an unsanitized knife to cut raw meat then fruit

Cross-contamination occurs when harmful bacteria or allergens are transferred from one food or surface to another, leading to foodborne illness. In this case, using an unsanitized knife to cut raw meat and then fruit is a clear example of cross-contamination. Raw meat can harbor dangerous pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli, which pose a significant risk if they come into contact with foods that won’t be cooked before consumption, such as fruits. If the same knife is used without proper cleaning and sanitization in between, bacteria from the raw meat can contaminate the fruit, potentially leading to illness when the fruit is eaten raw. The other scenarios may involve poor food safety practices but do not directly demonstrate the transfer of pathogens between surfaces or foods in a way that creates an imminent risk of illness. Storing items next to each other may not result in cross-contamination unless there is a spill or contact, while storing bleach near food prep areas may pose a chemical hazard rather than a biological one. Wiping countertops with a dirty cloth could spread bacteria around the surface but does not involve the direct transfer between food items in the same critical manner as using the unsanitized knife.