What key safety practice should staff follow when handling food?

The essential safety practice that staff should follow when handling food is to always wash hands before and after handling food. This practice is vital for preventing the spread of foodborne pathogens and ensuring the safety of the food being prepared and served. Proper handwashing removes bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants from the hands, significantly reducing the risk of cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods or between different food items.

While wearing gloves, changing cutting boards, and covering food are also important practices in food safety, they do not substitute for the fundamental step of hand hygiene. For instance, food handlers can still transfer contaminants from their gloves to food if they do not wash their hands appropriately. Regularly changing cutting boards helps prevent cross-contamination, and keeping food covered protects it from external pollutants, but without proper handwashing, these measures alone are insufficient to ensure food safety.