What should be done if food is suspected to be contaminated?

When food is suspected to be contaminated, the appropriate action is to discard it. This is essential to ensure food safety because consuming contaminated food can lead to foodborne illnesses, which pose significant health risks. Throwing away food reduces the chance of someone consuming it and potentially becoming ill.

Contamination can occur through various means such as improper storage, handling, or cross-contamination from other food items. Once food is suspected to be contaminated, it is no longer safe for consumption, regardless of any treatment like cooking or washing. Cooking might kill some pathogens, but not all contaminants can be eliminated this way, especially toxins that may have been produced by bacteria. Similarly, washing does not remove all types of contamination and can sometimes spread pathogens further.

Additionally, refrigerating food does not resolve the contamination issue and might allow harmful bacteria to multiply if the food is already unsafe. Therefore, discarding the suspected food item is the most responsible choice for maintaining food safety.