After removing debris from a cutting board that touched raw poultry, what is the next step in cleaning it?

After removing debris from a cutting board that touched raw poultry, what is the next step in cleaning it?

• A. Wash with hot water and detergent
• B. Air dry
• C. Sanitize
• D. Rinse with cold water

Answer: (A)

When cleaning a cutting board that touched raw poultry, you want to remove as much soil and bacteria as possible before worrying about killing any remaining germs. Washing with hot water and detergent does that effectively: the detergent loosens fats and soils, and the hot water helps lift and flush them away, reducing the microbial load on the surface. After this cleaning step, you would sanitize to kill any remaining pathogens. Rinsing with cold water or simply air drying won’t remove soils or maximize sanitizer effectiveness, and sanitizing without cleaning won’t be as effective because residues can shield microbes.

When cleaning a cutting board that touched raw poultry, you want to remove as much soil and bacteria as possible before worrying about killing any remaining germs. Washing with hot water and detergent does that effectively: the detergent loosens fats and soils, and the hot water helps lift and flush them away, reducing the microbial load on the surface. After this cleaning step, you would sanitize to kill any remaining pathogens. Rinsing with cold water or simply air drying won’t remove soils or maximize sanitizer effectiveness, and sanitizing without cleaning won’t be as effective because residues can shield microbes.