Cross-contamination means you are moving germs.
Cross-contact means you are moving allergens (proteins).
Sanitizer does not “kill” a protein; you must clean (detergent + friction) → rinse → sanitize to remove it.
Kitchen examples:
- Same fryer for breaded schnitzel (wheat) and fries → fries are not gluten-free.
- Toasting sesame burger buns on the same griddle as a “sesame-free” patty → patty now has sesame.
- Cutting pesto (nuts) then chopping parsley on the same board without washing → parsley has nut residue.
Read next: Recognizing Reactions (and Acting Fast)