Topic 3: Common Culprits of Food Contamination
Get tips on good hygiene and personal safety, as well as what not to do when it comes to food and work attire.


Module 4: Food Safety Introduction

Here are some common culprits that lead to poor food safety. These common culprits of food contamination can be prevented through observing good food safety practices.
- Time and temperature abuse
- Inappropriate work attire
- Poor personal safety and hygiene
- Cross-contamination
1. Time and temperature abuse
Caused by:
- Improper cooking, holding, cooling or reheating of food.
- Exposure and use of food held at TDZ for more than 4 hours.

2. Proper work attire
- Uniforms: Keep your clean uniform at work to prevent carrying contaminants into the kitchen when travelling.
- Aprons: Use a different apron when working in different stations to prevent cross contamination.
- Gloves: Disposable gloves should be used when handling raw and cooked food.
- Shoes: Non-slip, full covered shoes that protect you from burns, spills and splatters.

3. Good hygiene practices
- Don’t go to work if you’re sick.
- Don’t sneeze into your food.
- Don’t rub your face/nose on your uniform.
- Wash your hands after touching raw food.
- Use the correct tools for different types of food.
- Do not scratch any part of your body while cooking.
- Keep your work surfaces clean with an anti-bacterial sanitiser when necessary.
Personal safety tips
Use these tips to further ensure safety in your workplace, not just in your food:
- Observe proper decorum to prevent accidents from slips or falls, burns, cuts, machine injuries, etc.
- Always wear covered or industrial safety shoes at all times.
- Don’t run/play in the food preparation and cooking zones.
- Don’t leave food cooking on the stove unattended.
- Turn off and unplug gas when not in use.
- Use correct utensils and equipment at all times.
- Always place a fire extinguisher and first aid kit within reach.
- Replenish and check first aid kit regularly.
- Do not place sharp or hot objects in hidden corners.
You can also check out more kitchen safety tips.

4. Cross-contamination
What are some of the common causes of cross contamination?
- Raw meat, fish and poultry not separated from cooked and ready-to-eat food.
- Lack of separate equipment/utensils assigned to the preparation of each type of food product.
- Use of unclean and unsanitised food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment.
- Lack of separate towels assigned for specific work areas and tasks.


Congratulations, you’ve completed the Common Culprits of Food Contamination topic!
Continue on to the next topic, pick a related topic from the Food Safety module, or go back to the Chefmanship Academy modules page.
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