What error occurred when a cook sliced hamburger buns while wearing the same gloves used to handle raw ground beef?

The scenario described involves a cook using the same gloves to handle both raw ground beef and hamburger buns, which leads to the potential transfer of harmful bacteria from the raw meat to the ready-to-eat buns. This situation exemplifies cross-contamination, a significant concern in food safety practices.

Cross-contamination occurs when microorganisms from one food, particularly raw or undercooked foods, are transferred to another food, which can result in foodborne illnesses. In this case, the cook's negligence in switching gloves—or failing to wash hands between tasks—allows bacteria from the raw ground beef, which can include pathogens such as E. coli or Salmonella, to contaminate products that are not cooked further, like the hamburger buns. This can pose a serious health risk to those consuming the food.

The other options refer to different aspects of food safety but do not directly address the error of using the same gloves for raw meat and ready-to-eat food. Foodborne illness is a potential outcome of cross-contamination but does not define the error itself. Improper food storage and unsafe food temperature relate to methods of keeping food at safe temperatures and conditions but do not pertain to the specific mistake of contamination occurring from improper glove use.