Which of the following is essential for ensuring food hygiene during preparation?

Ensuring food hygiene during preparation involves multiple practices that collectively contribute to food safety. Utilizing multiple cutting boards helps prevent cross-contamination, especially when handling raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. It is crucial to maintain separate surfaces to minimize the risk of pathogens transferring from one type of food to another.

Frequent use of hand sanitizers is also important, as it aids in eliminating harmful microorganisms that may be transferred from hands to food. While washing hands with soap and water is generally recommended, hand sanitizers provide an added layer of protection, especially when soap and water are not immediately available.

Cooking food to the appropriate temperature is fundamental to food safety. Proper cooking temperatures ensure that harmful bacteria and pathogens are killed, making the food safe to eat. This is particularly vital for meat, poultry, and fish, where undercooking can lead to foodborne illnesses.

Each of these practices contributes significantly to maintaining food hygiene, and together, they form a comprehensive approach to safe food preparation. Therefore, selecting all of the above as an answer acknowledges the importance of each individual practice in achieving overall food safety.