What must food be identified with to ensure safety from contamination?

Ensuring food safety from contamination involves a clear identification of both the food itself and its source. This is crucial for a few reasons. Firstly, identifying what the food is allows handlers to assess any potential allergens and ensure that it matches the expectations for what is being served to customers. Secondly, knowing where the food originated helps trace any sources of contamination back to the supplier, which is vital in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak. Traceability stringently connects food safety practices to broader public health measures, allowing for quicker responses to potential health hazards.

Other options, while important in their own rights, do not address the concept of contamination as comprehensively. Price tags may assist with sales but are not relevant to food safety. Labels indicating ingredients provide some information but do not necessarily trace the source and might not identify all potential hazards. Dates of shipping can inform about freshness but do not offer insight into the underlying safety of the food regarding contamination. Together, these factors make identification of what the food is and where it originated essential to maintaining safety and public health standards.