What is a critical prevention measure for foodborne pathogens?

Thorough cooking is a critical prevention measure for foodborne pathogens because it effectively kills harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can be present in food. Cooking food to the appropriate internal temperature ensures that these pathogens are destroyed, significantly reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Proper cooking times and temperatures vary for different types of food, but consistently applying this measure is key to ensuring food safety.

While other measures like freezing can help inhibit the growth of certain pathogens and using high temperatures in cooking can also be beneficial, they are not as universally effective as thorough cooking for ensuring food safety across a wide range of food types. Using plastic containers is more related to storage and managing cross-contamination rather than directly preventing pathogens during food preparation and cooking.