NFSEM 2026 Week 2: Separate

National Food Safety Education Month continues with a new theme for Week 2 - “Separate”. It’s the ideal time to remind everyone of the importance of keeping raw and ready-to-eat food apart in order to avoid cross-contamination, and the dangers that come with it.

Cross-contamination happens when harmful pathogens transfer from one food, surface or person to another. The risk of foodborne illness is particularly high if raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs are involved.

Why Is It Important to Separate Raw and Ready-To-Eat Food?

Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs can carry pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli, which can be eliminated through correct cooking procedures. Ready-to-eat food won't get that same heat treatment, so if pathogens transfer onto it at any point, there are no steps left in the process to remove the risk.

This is what makes cross-contamination especially dangerous compared to other food safety failures. The food can look, smell and taste completely normal while still carrying enough bacteria to make someone seriously ill. It's also one of the easier risks to control once staff know where it hides, since most cross-contamination comes down to a handful of repeatable habits rather than anything complicated.

How Should You Separate Food Items?

1. Transport and store raw meat, poultry and seafood separately from other items
2. Store raw items in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, in sealed containers
3. Wash your hands between handling raw and ready-to-eat food
4. Use the correct color-coded cutting boards for raw and ready-to-eat items

Tip: A dedicated bottom shelf for raw protein storage removes the guesswork for every person who opens that refrigerator.

Common Cross-Contamination Mistakes to Watch For

• Using the same knife for raw meat and vegetables without washing it in between
• Storing raw eggs above ready-to-eat food in the refrigerator
• Reusing a marinade that touched raw meat as a finishing sauce without thoroughly cooking it first
• Wiping hands on an apron instead of washing them between tasks

How You Can Participate in NFSEM

Show your team's separation setup: dedicated raw-prep stations, color-coded boards or a labeled refrigerator shelf order. Share it on social media tagged #NFSEM2026, or use this week to walk staff through where cross-contamination risks actually hide in your kitchen.

Userve is celebrating NFSEM with 15% off Food Handler and Food Protection Manager Certification. Use code NFSEM2026 at checkout until September 30. Enroll online today!

What's Next in the NFSEM Series

• Week 3 “Cook” - covers cooking food to the right internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria
• Week 4 “Chill” - focuses on refrigerating food promptly to slow bacterial growth

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cross-contamination?

Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful pathogens from one food, surface or person to another, most often from raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs to ready-to-eat food.

Where should raw meat be stored in the refrigerator?

On the bottom shelf, in a sealed container or on a tray, so juices can't drip onto food stored below it.

Can you reuse a marinade that touched raw meat?

Only if you boil it first. Pouring it over finished food without cooking it thoroughly carries the same risk as the raw meat it touched.

What is National Food Safety Education Month?

NFSEM is a US campaign held every September, running since 1994, to raise awareness of safe food handling. Userve marks it with four weekly themes: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.