Which of the following is crucial for food safety?

Keeping raw and cooked foods separate is crucial for food safety because it helps prevent cross-contamination, which is a key factor in foodborne illnesses. Raw foods, particularly meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, can harbor harmful bacteria that may contaminate other foods if they come into contact. When raw and cooked foods are stored or prepared together, there is a significant risk of those pathogens transferring to foods that are ready to eat. This separation includes using different cutting boards, utensils, and storage containers to ensure that pathogens from raw foods do not end up on cooked foods.

This practice is supported by food safety guidelines and regulations, as it directly addresses one of the major risks in food handling. It also ensures that consumers are protected from foodborne diseases, which can result from poorly managed food safety practices.

The other answer choices reflect practices that could lead to unsafe food handling and should not be implemented in a food safety plan.