8: Cross-Contamination Animation Video
Transcript:
Storage Hierarchy to Prevent Cross-Contamination
Refrigeration plays a critical role in keeping food safe by maintaining foods at temperatures which discourage bacterial growth.
Thermometers should be located in the warmest part of the refrigerator. This is usually on a top shelf (because warm air rises) and by the door (because warm air enters the refrigerator whenever the door is opened).
The temperature of refrigeration units must be checked periodically to ensure that temperatures are at or below 41°F (5°C).
However, simply storing foods at proper temperatures is not sufficient to guarantee food safety. Care must be taken as to where a food is stored in relation to other foods in the refrigerator.
If foods are stored improperly, cross-contamination can result. For instance, a pan of raw chicken might drip juices onto lettuce and tomatoes stored on the shelf below.
Bacteria present in the chicken will be killed during cooking. However, if the same bacteria contaminate the ready-to-eat lettuce and tomatoes which will not be cooked, the bacteria will not be killed. This could result in foodborne illness.
To avoid cross-contamination in the refrigerator, the first step is to store food in a leak-proof container, cover it, and label it with name and date.
Next, follow the storage hierarchy when deciding where to place the food in relation to other foods in the refrigerator. The storage hierarchy is based on the minimum cooking temperature for the foods being stored. Foods with the lowest minimum cooking temperature should be stored above foods with higher minimum cooking temperatures.
When possible, store ready-to-eat food in a different location than raw foods. If this is not possible, ready-to-eat foods should be stored on the top shelf of the refrigeration unit.
Store food with a minimum cooking temperature of 145°F (63°C) on the next shelf.
Although both fish and whole muscle meats have a minimum cooking temperature of 145°F (63°C), fish should be stored above the meats.
Store ground meat and ground fish products which have a minimum cooking temperature of 155°F (68°C) on the next shelf.
Store poultry products which have a minimum cooking temperature of 165°F (74°C) on the next shelf.