What should food handlers do if they accidentally contaminate food?

When food handlers accidentally contaminate food, the proper procedure is to discard the contaminated food immediately. This is essential for food safety to prevent foodborne illness and protect consumers' health. Contaminated food, if consumed, can lead to serious health risks including infections and food poisoning, which can have immediate or long-term health effects.

Discarding the food prevents any chance of it being served to customers, thereby ensuring that the establishment maintains high food safety standards. It's critical that all food handlers understand the importance of not trying to salvage or serve contaminated food, as the potential dangers far outweigh any perceived benefits. While reporting the incident to a manager is also a vital step, particularly for addressing food safety protocols and preventing future occurrences, the immediate action should focus on safely discarding any item that has been compromised to safeguard public health.