What is the first step in ensuring food safety?

The first step in ensuring food safety is to wash hands and surfaces often. This is crucial because proper handwashing and sanitization of surfaces help to eliminate harmful bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants that can lead to foodborne illnesses. By starting with clean hands and surfaces, you significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination, which is a common cause of food safety issues.

Establishing a hygienic environment sets the foundation for safe food handling practices. Although cooking thoroughly, chilling leftovers quickly, and storing food in airtight containers are all important aspects of food safety, they are secondary to maintaining cleanliness. Without first addressing hygiene, the effectiveness of these subsequent steps can be compromised.