Any surface that food touches directly and that must be kept clean and sanitary to prevent contamination.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.