What risk is posed when a food handler scratches an itch and then returns to making the salad?

The correct choice is related to poor personal hygiene. When a food handler scratches an itch, they potentially transfer pathogens from their hands to food items or surfaces. If they do not wash their hands after this action, they may contaminate the salad with bacteria or viruses that could lead to foodborne illness. This scenario highlights the importance of maintaining proper personal hygiene practices, such as regular and thorough handwashing, especially after any activity that can lead to contamination, including scratching, using the restroom, or touching their face or hair. Good personal hygiene is essential in food preparation environments to ensure food safety and protect customers from unsafe food practices.

The other options do not directly address the individual actions of the food handler. For example, cross-contamination refers specifically to the transfer of harmful microorganisms from one food to another, pest contamination involves pests like rodents or insects contaminating food, and time-temperature abuse deals with food being held in inappropriate temperatures that promote microbial growth. While these are all important food safety concepts, they do not specifically capture the risk posed by the food handler’s actions in this scenario.