Why should you use separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables when chopping?

Question

Separate boards avoid cross-contamination—use one for raw meats and another for vegetables or fruits.

Answer 1

Using separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables prevents cross-contamination, which can spread harmful bacteria from raw meat to food that won't be cooked, leading to foodborne illnesses.

Detailed Explanation:

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood can contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter. These bacteria can easily transfer to other foods, surfaces, and utensils. Vegetables, especially those eaten raw, don't undergo a cooking process that would kill these bacteria. Therefore, if you use the same cutting board for raw meat and then chop vegetables without properly sanitizing the board in between, you risk transferring the bacteria to the vegetables. This is called cross-contamination.

To prevent cross-contamination, it's crucial to have separate cutting boards: one specifically for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and another for fruits, vegetables, and cooked foods. Color-coded cutting boards are a great way to easily distinguish between them. After using a cutting board for raw meat, wash it thoroughly with hot, soapy water and then sanitize it with a diluted bleach solution or by running it through a dishwasher.

Pro Tip:

Even if you wash a cutting board after using it for raw meat, microscopic bacteria can still remain in the grooves and scratches. Consider using a non-porous cutting board material like plastic or acrylic, as they are easier to sanitize than wooden boards.