cross-contaminate

or cross con·tam·i·nate

[ kraws-kuhn-tam-uh-neyt, kros ]

verb (used with object)

1. to transfer something bad or harmful, especially pathogens or allergens, to (a person or thing):

   Wash the cutting board after using it for meat, or you may cross-contaminate your vegetables with bacteria from the meat.

2. to allow the unwanted mixture of minute amounts of one substance into another, as with laboratory specimens:

   The lung secretions were left to sit too long before analysis, cross-contaminating the specimen with particles from the air.

3. to mix ideas, information, etc., in such a way as to compromise their integrity or reliability:

   I don't want to cross-contaminate the data—I need the files generated for each day to stay separate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cross-contaminate¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

For instance, make sure no meat juices cross-contaminate other items, consider using a cool bag when transporting meat, and refrigerate or freeze the meat within two hours.

From Salon

However, even in the face of well-implemented strategies to disinfect facilities and control for microbial risks, microbes such as listeria can occasionally breach food safety barriers and cross-contaminate food products.

From Science Daily

Use clean utensils and don't cross-contaminate cooked food with raw food.

From Salon

The bottom drawer is for protein, which is good to put on the bottom because if anything drips it’s not going to cross-contaminate anything.

From Los Angeles Times

Their indestructible nature also means that they can cross-contaminate everything they touch, Dr. Vorst said.

From New York Times