A California kitchen uses a 6-color cutting board system. Under common industry convention used in California training programs, which board color is conventionally assigned to RAW POULTRY?

Explanation

California Retail Food Code HSC §114097 and §114099.4 require equipment and utensils to be designed and used to prevent cross-contamination, and the use of dedicated cutting boards by food type is the standard control. While the code does not mandate specific colors, the widely adopted industry convention taught in California Food Handler curricula is: GREEN = produce/fruits/vegetables, YELLOW = raw poultry, RED = raw red meat (beef, pork, lamb), BLUE = raw seafood/fish, WHITE = dairy and bakery, BROWN/TAN = cooked meats and ready-to-eat. Option A (green) is for produce, which is the OPPOSITE of poultry from a contamination standpoint — produce is often eaten raw with no further pathogen kill. Option C (red) is for raw red meat. Option D (blue) is for raw seafood. Using a yellow board specifically for raw chicken/turkey prevents Salmonella and Campylobacter — the two most common poultry pathogens — from being transferred to ready-to-eat ingredients, and creates a visible audit trail for inspectors and managers verifying compliance during service.