What practice contributes to avoiding foodborne illness?

Practicing good hygiene and handwashing is essential in avoiding foodborne illness because it directly impacts the reduction of harmful pathogens that can be transferred from hands to food. Many foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can be present on our hands, especially after using the restroom, handling raw food, or touching surfaces that may harbor germs.

By ensuring that hands are washed thoroughly with soap and water before food preparation, after handling raw ingredients, and before eating, the risk of contaminating food surfaces and the food itself is significantly minimized. This practice is particularly important in a kitchen environment where cross-contamination can easily occur, leading to potential illness for anyone consuming the food.

While the other options involve important food safety practices, they do not directly address the immediate prevention of pathogen transfer in the way that proper hygiene and handwashing do. Cooking food properly does help kill pathogens, and cooling food correctly prevents bacterial growth, but these actions follow the primary step of ensuring cleanliness through hand hygiene. Storing food in small containers can aid in rapid cooling and even preservation, but none of these practices can substitute for the foundational importance of hand hygiene in food safety.