Never Use the Same Board for Raw Meat and Ready-to-Eat Food Without Washing

Cross-contamination is the most common cause of food poisoning at home. Raw meat carries bacteria that survive on surfaces long after the meat is gone. If you chop chicken on a board and then slice tomatoes on the same unwashed board, you've just contaminated your salad.

The simplest system: use separate cutting boards. Color-coded boards work well — red for raw meat, green for vegetables, white for ready-to-eat food. If you only have one board, wash it thoroughly with hot soapy water between uses and let it dry.