The most important way to prevent foodborne illness from viruses is to practice proper hand hygiene by washing hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, especially before preparing or eating food and after using the bathroom. This is because many foodborne viruses are transmitted via the fecal-oral route and through person-to-person contact or contaminated surfaces

. Additional key preventive measures include:

• Cleaning and disinfecting kitchen surfaces and utensils regularly to avoid contamination

• Avoiding direct hand contact with food when possible and washing raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly

• Cooking foods to the proper internal temperatures to kill viruses and other pathogens

• Preventing cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods

• Refrigerating perishable foods promptly to slow or stop viral and bacterial growth

Among these, handwashing stands out as the single most critical step, as viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A are highly contagious and primarily spread through contaminated hands and surfaces

. Washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before food handling and after bathroom use is essential to break the chain of viral transmission.