A system of assigning different colours to chopping boards, knives and utensils for different food types to reduce cross-contamination.
A system of assigning different colours to chopping boards, knives and utensils for different food types to reduce cross-contamination. Colour-coded equipment is a voluntary control where chopping boards, knives, cloths and other utensils are given set colours for particular food groups, for example red for raw meat, blue for raw seafood, green for fruit and vegetables and white for dairy or ready-to-eat food. The aim is to make it visually obvious which equipment belongs to which task, so raw and ready-to-eat foods do not share the same surfaces and tools. The Food Standards Code does not prescribe a colour scheme. Instead, Standard 3.2.2 requires food handlers to take all reasonable measures to prevent cross-contamination, and Standard 3.2.3 requires equipment to be able to be effectively cleaned and, where necessary, sanitised. Colour coding is simply a practical way many businesses meet those duties, because a clear visual system is easier for busy or multilingual teams to follow than written rules alone. Australian kitchens that use colour coding usually display a chart on the wall showing which colour is used for which food, and store the matching boards and knives together. Staff are trained during induction so the habit is consistent across shifts. Even where a full colour scheme is not used, the underlying rule remains: keep raw and ready-to-eat foods on separate, cleaned and sanitised equipment. Colour coding works best alongside good cleaning and sanitising, because a board is only safe if it is also washed and sanitised between uses; the colour does not make it clean. Damaged boards with deep knife scoring should be replaced, since grooves harbour bacteria and are hard to clean. Many venues extend the system to cleaning cloths so, for example, a colour used for toilets is never used on food surfaces. A busy bistro uses red boards for raw meat and green for salad. During service a chef reaches for the nearest board to slice tomatoes and notices it is red. Following the venue's colour rule, he swaps to a clean green board instead, avoiding transferring raw-meat juices, and any Salmonella they carry, onto ready-to-eat salad.
Frequently asked questions
Is colour-coded equipment required in Australia?
No. It is a voluntary good-practice tool. The Code requires businesses to prevent cross-contamination and to keep equipment cleanable (Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3), but it does not mandate any particular colour system.
What do the common chopping board colours mean?
A widely used scheme is red for raw meat, blue for raw seafood, yellow for raw poultry, green for fruit and vegetables, brown for cooked meat, and white for dairy or bakery. Schemes vary, so follow your own venue's chart.
Does colour coding remove the need to clean equipment?
No. Colours only tell staff which item to use for which food. Each board, knife or cloth must still be cleaned and, where needed, sanitised between uses. The colour prevents mix-ups; cleaning removes the contamination.
Can colour coding be used for cleaning cloths too?
Yes. Many businesses colour-code cloths and mops so a cloth used for toilets or floors is never used on food-contact surfaces. This helps stop contamination spreading from dirty areas to food areas.
When should a chopping board be replaced?
Replace boards that are deeply scored, cracked or warped. Deep grooves trap food and bacteria and cannot be cleaned reliably, so a damaged board is a contamination risk regardless of its colour.
