What does the term "proper food handling" mean?

The term "proper food handling" refers specifically to practices that reduce the risk of foodborne illness. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including maintaining appropriate temperatures when storing and cooking foods, minimizing cross-contamination, ensuring cleanliness in food preparation areas, and adhering to guidelines for the safe transportation and serving of food. The primary goal of proper food handling is to keep food safe for consumption, thus protecting public health.

Cooking food to enhance flavor, while important in culinary arts, does not directly relate to food safety practices. Preparing food in large quantities can increase the risk of foodborne illnesses if proper safety procedures are not followed, such as maintaining safe temperatures. Serving food quickly to customers focuses more on speed and efficiency rather than the measures needed to ensure the food is safe to eat. Therefore, the essence of proper food handling lies in the practices that actively prevent illness, making the correct answer centered around reducing risks associated with food safety.