How should raw food items be stored in relation to cooked food items?

Proper food storage is crucial in preventing cross-contamination and ensuring food safety. Raw food items, particularly meats, poultry, and seafood, can harbor harmful bacteria that may contaminate other food items if not stored correctly.

Storing raw food items below cooked food items helps to minimize the risk of drips and spills from raw products contaminating ready-to-eat foods. Cooked food items are generally treated as safe for consumption, having gone through a cooking process that kills harmful pathogens. Therefore, placing cooked foods above raw foods creates a safety barrier, reducing the chance of cross-contamination and maintaining a hygienic food storage environment.

This practice aligns with food safety standards and guidelines, ensuring that food service operations can maintain high safety and quality levels. Proper separation of raw and cooked food storage is an essential component of the Army Food Service Program and is critical to safeguarding health.