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Cross-contamination refers to the transfer of harmful bacteria or allergens from one food item to another, particularly when raw food comes into contact with food that is ready to eat and will not be cooked further. This is a critical concept in food safety because consuming contaminated food can lead to foodborne illnesses.

In this context, when raw food, such as meats or eggs, touches ready-to-eat foods, it poses a significant risk as the pathogens present in the raw food can multiply and contaminate the other food items, leading to potential health hazards for consumers.

While using separate utensils for raw and cooked food is a good practice for preventing cross-contamination, it is not itself the definition of cross-contamination. Cooking food to the correct internal temperatures and cooling food down quickly relate to other food safety practices designed to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses but do not define cross-contamination.