Which of the following is a key practice to prevent foodborne illness?

Maintaining good personal hygiene is essential in preventing foodborne illness because it directly influences the safety and quality of food handling. Personal hygiene includes practices such as regular handwashing, wearing clean clothes, and not handling food when ill. When individuals who prepare or serve food maintain high standards of personal cleanliness, the risk of contaminating food with pathogens significantly decreases.

Proper handwashing before and after handling food, particularly after using the restroom or touching potentially contaminated surfaces, is crucial in hindering the transfer of harmful bacteria and viruses to food. Moreover, employees who exhibit good personal hygiene are less likely to transmit foodborne pathogens, thereby protecting both themselves and the consumers.

While other options relate to food safety, they do not contribute positively to preventing foodborne illnesses. For example, storing food at room temperature and holding foods at improper temperatures can lead to the growth of bacteria, increasing the risk of illness. Using only canned ingredients does not address hygiene or safe food handling practices and is not sufficient on its own to ensure food safety.