When should you clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces?

• A. Only at the end of the shift.
• B. Before the first use of the day.
• C. After each preparation task and after any interruption, and when switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
• D. Only after contamination is suspected.

Answer: (C)

Keeping food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized between tasks is essential to prevent cross-contamination and foodborne illness. Surfaces like cutting boards, countertops, and utensils can pick up pathogens from raw ingredients and transfer them to other foods if they aren’t cleaned and sanitized regularly. The best practice is to clean and sanitize after each preparation task and after any interruption, and when switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods. This proactive approach stops contaminants from moving from one task to the next and ensures raw foods don’t contaminate foods that won’t be cooked before serving.

Waiting until the end of a shift misses opportunities to remove first-pass contaminants; cleaning only before the first use leaves mid-shift risks unaddressed; and cleaning only after contamination is suspected is reactive and too late to prevent illness.