{"id":13,"date":"2013-05-09T01:06:17","date_gmt":"2013-05-09T01:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allergyhome.org\/handbook\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2015-01-12T13:14:16","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T18:14:16","slug":"cross-contact","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.allergyhome.org\/handbook\/table-of-contents\/how-to-avoid-food-allergens\/cross-contact\/","title":{"rendered":"Cross Contamination (Cross-Contact)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Cross<\/a>Cross Contact Handout<\/a><\/strong>\n

One page handout reviewing how to prevent cross contact of allergens.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n

You may hear the term \u201ccross-contamination\u201d or \u201ccross-contact\u201d when people talk about possible risks for those with food allergies.\u00a0 Cross-contamination can happen when a small amount of a food allergen gets into another food accidentally, or when it is present in saliva, on a surface or on an object.\u00a0 This small amount of an allergen could cause an allergic reaction.<\/p>\n

Examples of cross-contamination8<\/sup><\/h1>\n

\"CrossFood to food<\/strong> \u2013 For example, nuts on top of a salad will lead to cross-contamination of other foods in the salad, even if the nuts are taken off.<\/p>\n

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\"CrossFood to object <\/strong>– Cookware, dishes, utensils (e.g. forks, spoons, knives) or cooking surfaces that are not properly cleaned before preparing food for someone with a food allergy could lead to cross-contamination.<\/p>\n

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\"CrossFood to saliva <\/strong>– Food allergens can be passed on through saliva from people and pets. \u00a0Anything that goes into the mouth could be a possible source of cross-contamination.5<\/sup><\/p>\n

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Keep in mind that children understand more as they get older.\u00a0 There can be more risks for young children who learn about their world by touching.\u00a0 They often have poor hand-washing skills and may put things (e.g. toys) into their mouths and touch their eyes and nose.9<\/sup><\/p>\n

Older children are better at hand-washing, but new issues come up as they as mature. \u00a0For example, they may not think about the risks of sharing lipstick or kissing.<\/p>\n

Ways to reduce the risk of cross-contamination<\/h1>\n