After touching raw ground beef, what is an important step to take?

Washing hands after touching raw ground beef is crucial to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria that can cause foodborne illnesses. These pathogens can easily transfer from uncooked meat to other surfaces, utensils, and even ready-to-eat foods if proper hand hygiene is not followed.

Washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds effectively removes any contaminants. This not only ensures that your hands are clean but also plays a significant role in food safety practices within food handling environments, such as kitchens and restaurants.

Other options, such as wiping hands with a napkin, rinsing in water, or using hand sanitizer, do not adequately eliminate bacteria. Wiping with a napkin may push bacteria onto other surfaces rather than removing them, rinsing with water alone is ineffective since it does not involve any cleaning agent to break down and wash away germs, and while hand sanitizer can be useful in certain situations, it is not a substitute for thorough handwashing after handling raw meats.