the cooking process is often the time that food borne pathogens are allowed to enter the food we eat because of the prevalence of cross contamination. cross contamination occurs when a person handling raw meats ,eggs , fish , or other foods containing harmful pathogens touches cooking utensils,cutting boards, or cooking surfaces and spreads the pathogens to ready-to-eat foods in the process. this mode of transmission can be interrupted handling raw foods,washing utensils and cutting boards that have come in contact with raw foods,and disinfecting counter surfaces frequently.