What practice helps ensure food is handled safely?

Using separate tools for raw and cooked foods is a critical practice that helps ensure food safety by preventing cross-contamination. Raw foods, particularly meats and poultry, can harbor harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. If the same cutting boards, knives, or utensils are used for both raw and cooked foods without proper cleaning, these pathogens can be transferred to foods that will be consumed without further cooking, such as salads or prepared dishes. By using separate tools, food handlers can significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination and maintain safer food handling practices.

Other choices may promote safe food handling in various ways, but they don't directly address the critical issue of preventing the transfer of pathogens from raw to cooked foods. While checking food for visible contamination and avoiding unknown food sources are also important practices, they do not specifically mitigate cross-contamination risks like using separate tools does. Using a cutting board for all foods, on the other hand, can actually increase the risk if the same board is used for both raw and cooked products without proper sanitation between uses.