Michigan Food Safety Management Practice Test

What is the recommended practice for food handlers to prevent contamination?

1. Avoid touching food with bare hands

2. Use only plastic utensils

3. Cook food at high temperatures

4. Soak food in disinfectant

The correct answer is: Avoid touching food with bare hands

The recommended practice for food handlers to prevent contamination is to avoid touching food with bare hands. This practice is essential because bare-hand contact can transfer pathogens from the skin to the food, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses. Using gloves or utensils helps create a barrier between the hands and the food, minimizing the chance of contamination. While using only plastic utensils may seem beneficial, it does not directly address the core issue of personal hygiene and the prevention of direct hand contact. Cooking food at high temperatures is also a critical safety measure, but it primarily addresses the killing of pathogens after contamination has already occurred, rather than preventing contamination in the first place. Soaking food in disinfectant is not a safe or recommended practice for food safety because many disinfectants are not food-safe and could pose additional health risks. Thus, the practice of avoiding bare-hand contact is fundamental to maintaining food safety and preventing the spread of harmful microorganisms in food preparation.