Illinois Food Service License Practice Test

A food handler has finished trimming raw chicken on a cutting board and needs the board to prep vegetables. What must be done to the cutting board?

1. Use a different cutting board

2. Scrape off the chicken residue

3. It must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized

4. Leave it as is

The correct answer is: It must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized

To ensure food safety and prevent cross-contamination, the proper procedure after trimming raw chicken on a cutting board is to wash, rinse, and sanitize the board before using it to prepare vegetables. Raw chicken can contain harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella or Campylobacter, which can easily transfer to vegetables if the cutting board is not properly cleaned. Washing removes food residues and soil, rinsing gets rid of the soap or cleaning solution, and sanitizing, usually with a solution that reduces the number of pathogens to safe levels, is crucial to creating a safe environment for preparing other foods. Using a different cutting board might keep the two food groups separate, but without proper cleaning, there remains a risk of cross-contamination. Simply scraping off the residue does not eliminate the bacteria present, and leaving it as is certainly poses a significant food safety risk. Hence, the correct action is to thoroughly clean and sanitize the cutting board before continuing with preparation.