Which food safety measure is important for preventing cross-contamination?

Using clean and sanitized equipment is critical for preventing cross-contamination. When preparing food, it's essential to ensure that all surfaces, utensils, and equipment that come into contact with food are free from harmful pathogens. If equipment is not properly cleaned and sanitized, bacteria from one food item can transfer to another, potentially leading to foodborne illnesses.

This measure is particularly important when preparing different types of food, such as raw meats and fresh produce, as they can harbor different pathogens. Using sanitized equipment helps to create a safe food handling environment, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and ensuring that food remains safe for consumption.

While the other options reflect important food safety practices, they don't directly address the prevention of cross-contamination in the same way. Reporting illnesses ensures that the spread of disease is managed, sealed containers help in storage but do not eliminate cross-contamination risks during food preparation, and checking food temperatures ensures cooking safety but doesn't address the transfer of pathogens through equipment.