Why do we need to separate foods? Preventing cross-contamination in your kitchen

December 18, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Food Standards Agency, approximately 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the UK each year. One of the most effective and simple ways to mitigate this risk is by understanding exactly why do we need to separate foods during preparation, cooking, and storage.

Quick Summary

Separating raw and ready-to-eat foods is a fundamental safety practice to prevent cross-contamination from harmful bacteria. This guide explains the risks of not doing so and provides practical techniques for handling, storing, and preparing different food types safely in the kitchen.

Key Points

Prevent Cross-Contamination: Separate raw meats, poultry, and seafood from ready-to-eat foods to stop the transfer of harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli.
Use Designated Equipment: Employ separate, and ideally color-coded, cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked items to avoid indirect contamination.
Store Raw Foods Below Cooked Foods: Always place raw meat and poultry on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to prevent any juices from dripping onto other food.
Protect Against Allergens: In households with food allergies, use dedicated utensils and preparation spaces to prevent cross-contact and avoid severe allergic reactions.
Extend Food Shelf Life: Separate certain fruits and vegetables, like ethylene-releasing produce, to prevent them from prematurely spoiling other items.
Maintain Good Hygiene: Practice thorough handwashing and surface sanitization after handling any raw food to further minimize the risk of foodborne illness.

The Core Principle: Preventing Cross-Contamination

The primary reason for the strict separation of certain foods is to prevent cross-contamination, a major cause of foodborne illness. Cross-contamination happens when harmful microorganisms, such as E. coli and Salmonella, are transferred from one food item to another, either directly or indirectly. Raw meat, poultry, and seafood are often carriers of these pathogens, and if their juices come into contact with foods that will not be cooked further, the bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels.

Indirect cross-contamination is just as, if not more, common than direct contact. This occurs when utensils, cutting boards, hands, or countertops are not properly cleaned after touching raw food and are then used to handle ready-to-eat items. A simple lapse in kitchen hygiene, like using the same chopping board for raw chicken and then for chopping lettuce, can have severe health consequences.

The 'Four Cs' of Food Safety

The foundational principles of food safety, often summarized as the 'Four Cs,' reinforce the importance of separating foods:

Clean: Washing hands and surfaces frequently to remove bacteria.
Cook: Cooking food to the correct temperature to kill pathogens.
Chill: Refrigerating food promptly to slow bacterial growth.
Separate: The focus of this guide, dedicated to keeping raw and cooked foods apart.

Practical Steps for Separating Foods

Establishing and maintaining a rigorous separation protocol in your kitchen is straightforward. It requires mindfulness at every stage, from grocery shopping to serving the finished meal.

A Simple Checklist for Kitchen Separation

At the grocery store: Place raw meats, poultry, and seafood in separate plastic bags to prevent any leaks from dripping onto other items in your shopping cart.
During storage: Always store raw foods on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. This is critical to prevent juices from dripping onto and contaminating ready-to-eat foods on lower shelves.
When thawing: Thaw frozen raw foods in a covered container on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator. Never let them thaw on a countertop where bacteria can multiply rapidly.
During preparation: Use separate, color-coded cutting boards and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods. Many professionals use a red board for raw meat, a yellow for raw poultry, and a green for produce. While this isn't mandatory, establishing your own system is vital.
Serving food: Never place cooked food on a platter or surface that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood unless it has been thoroughly washed and sanitized.

Comparison: Raw vs. Ready-to-Eat Food Handling

The table below outlines the key differences in how raw and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods must be handled to ensure safety.


Handling Aspect	Raw Foods (Meat, Poultry, Seafood)	Ready-to-Eat Foods (Salads, Cooked Dishes)
Storage Location	Bottom shelf of the refrigerator in sealed containers	Upper shelves of the refrigerator, covered
Cutting Boards	Separate, dedicated board (e.g., color-coded)	Separate, dedicated board (e.g., different color)
Utensils	Use separate knives, tongs, and serving spoons	Use separate knives, tongs, and serving spoons
Handwashing	Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling	Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before handling
Cleaning Protocol	Wash surfaces with hot, soapy water, then sanitize	Wash surfaces with hot, soapy water
Thawing Method	In the refrigerator, microwave, or in a cold-water bath	Not applicable (already safe to eat)

Beyond Bacteria: Separating for Food Quality and Allergens

While cross-contamination of pathogens is the most serious concern, separating foods also has other benefits.

Maintaining Food Quality and Shelf Life

Some foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, release gases like ethylene that can ripen or spoil other produce more quickly. For example, storing bananas next to other fruits can accelerate their ripening process. Keeping fruits and vegetables separate, and understanding their different storage requirements, helps maintain their individual freshness and extends their shelf life.

Preventing Allergic Reactions

For individuals with severe food allergies, preventing cross-contact is a life-or-death matter. Allergens from one food can contaminate another, triggering a reaction. This is particularly crucial in multi-person households where some individuals may have severe allergies to common ingredients like peanuts, gluten, or shellfish. Dedicated utensils, cutting boards, and even cooking pans can be necessary to prevent accidental exposure.

Conclusion: A Small Habit for Major Health Benefits

Understanding why do we need to separate foods is a critical step towards maintaining a healthy and safe kitchen. The simple habit of using different cutting boards, storing raw meats on the bottom fridge shelf, and properly sanitizing all surfaces can have a profound impact on preventing foodborne illnesses. By being mindful and consistent with these practices, you can protect your family's health, prevent dangerous allergic reactions, and even improve the quality and longevity of your food. It is an easy, yet powerful, aspect of cooking that every home chef should master. For more information on safe food handling practices, consult reputable sources like the Food Standards Agency.

Note: The content of this article is for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or food safety advice. Always follow local food safety guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cross-contamination is the process by which harmful bacteria from raw foods are transferred to cooked or ready-to-eat foods. It is dangerous because these pathogens are not destroyed by further cooking in the ready-to-eat food, which can lead to serious foodborne illnesses.

Raw meat should always be stored in a sealed container or bag on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. This position ensures that any juices that might leak will not drip down onto and contaminate other foods.

It is best practice to use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked vegetables. Even though vegetables are not as high-risk as raw meat, they can still carry soil-based bacteria. Separating boards prevents any potential transfer of germs.

Color-coded cutting boards, such as red for raw meat and green for vegetables, are a visual system to ensure separate equipment is used for different food types. This simple method helps prevent mix-ups and reduces the risk of cross-contamination.

Use separate utensils—such as tongs, knives, and spoons—for handling raw foods and cooked foods. Never taste a finished dish with a spoon that has touched raw meat, and wash all utensils thoroughly with hot, soapy water after each use.

No, washing raw chicken is not recommended. It does not effectively remove bacteria but can splash harmful pathogens onto countertops, sinks, and other surfaces in the kitchen, increasing the risk of contamination.

For people with food allergies, separating food prevents cross-contact, which is the inadvertent transfer of an allergen to a different food. Using dedicated utensils and preparation areas for allergen-free meals is a critical safety measure.