Which of the following is a category of food contaminants?

Cross-contamination is recognized as a major category of food contaminants. It occurs when harmful bacteria or allergens are unintentionally transferred from one food or surface to another. This can happen in various scenarios, such as using the same cutting board for raw meat and vegetables without proper cleaning in between, or when juices from raw meat drip onto ready-to-eat foods. Understanding cross-contamination is crucial in food safety as it helps prevent foodborne illnesses, which can result from consuming contaminated food.

Temperature and timing, while important aspects of food safety practices, do not classify as contaminants themselves. Instead, they relate to how food is handled and stored, affecting its safety and quality. Issues with temperature, for example, pertain to how food is cooked or held at safe temperatures to inhibit bacterial growth. This highlights the importance of temperature control, but it does not relate to a type of contaminant in the same way that cross-contamination does.