Which of the following actions helps ensure food safety?

Washing hands after handling raw food is a critical action that helps ensure food safety. This practice is essential because raw food, especially meats, can harbor harmful pathogens such as bacteria and viruses that can lead to foodborne illnesses. By washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw ingredients, food handlers remove these contaminants from their hands, thereby preventing cross-contamination when they later handle ready-to-eat foods or other ingredients.

Proper hand hygiene is a foundational practice in food safety that helps maintain a clean food environment and protects consumers from potential health risks associated with improper food handling. Regular hand washing, particularly after handling raw food, is recommended by food safety authorities to reduce the likelihood of transferring pathogens to other surfaces or foods.