Any surface that food touches directly and that must be kept clean and sanitary to prevent contamination.
Any surface that food touches directly and that must be kept clean and sanitary to prevent contamination. A food contact surface is any surface that comes into direct contact with food, such as chopping boards, benches, knives, slicer blades, mixing bowls, and the internal surfaces of equipment like mixers and processors. Because food touches them directly, these surfaces can transfer micro-organisms, chemicals or foreign matter straight into food, so they receive the most attention in cleaning and sanitising. The Food Standards Code requires food contact surfaces of equipment, and eating and drinking utensils, to be kept in a clean and sanitary condition. Standard 3.2.3 also requires that such surfaces be designed and made from materials that can be effectively cleaned and, where necessary, sanitised, meaning they should be smooth, non-toxic, non-absorbent and free from cracks or crevices where food and bacteria could lodge. In an Australian kitchen the food contact surfaces are cleaned and then sanitised between tasks, especially when switching between raw and ready-to-eat food. Colour-coded chopping boards are often used so raw meat and ready-to-eat items do not share the same board. Damaged boards or cracked containers are replaced because scratches and cracks trap food and bacteria and cannot be properly sanitised. Design and materials matter too. Stainless steel benches, food-grade plastics and sealed surfaces are chosen because they can be effectively cleaned and sanitised. Porous or damaged surfaces, chipped enamel or bare timber that cannot be sanitised are avoided for direct food contact. Keeping these surfaces clean and sanitary is a routine focus during health inspections. A butcher uses one board to bone out raw chicken, then needs to portion cooked ham. Rather than reuse the same board, they take a clean, sanitised board for the ready-to-eat ham and send the chicken board for cleaning and sanitising. Because the food contact surface for the cooked product is separate and sanitary, Salmonella from the raw chicken cannot cross to the ham.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a food contact surface?
Any surface food touches directly, including chopping boards, benches, knives, slicer blades, bowls, and the internal surfaces of equipment like mixers. Eating and drinking utensils are treated with the same care.
How often should food contact surfaces be cleaned and sanitised?
Whenever they could contaminate food, in particular between tasks and when switching from raw to ready-to-eat food, and at the end of use. They must be kept in a clean and sanitary condition as the Code requires.
What materials are suitable for food contact surfaces?
Smooth, non-toxic, non-absorbent materials that can be effectively cleaned and sanitised, such as stainless steel and food-grade plastics. Porous, cracked or damaged surfaces should not be used because they trap food and bacteria.
Why should damaged chopping boards be replaced?
Deep scratches and cracks harbour food residue and bacteria and cannot be properly cleaned or sanitised, so a damaged board can become a source of contamination even when it looks clean.
Do food contact surfaces always need sanitising, not just cleaning?
Because food touches them directly, food contact surfaces generally need both cleaning and sanitising, especially between raw and ready-to-eat use, whereas general surfaces like floors mainly need to be kept clean.
