Cross-contamination occurs when:
Explanation
Cross-contamination is the transfer of pathogens from one food or surface to another, such as raw poultry juices dripping onto ready-to-eat produce or using the same unwashed cutting board. Storing raw meats below ready-to-eat foods and using separate color-coded equipment prevent it (FDA Food Code §3-302.11). Cooking ground beef to 155°F for 17 seconds is correct cooking, not contamination; spoilage by yeasts and molds is natural decay, not pathogen transfer; and seasoning or brining a dish is ordinary preparation. Each of the three wrong options describes a real kitchen event that simply is not a transfer of pathogens.
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