raw foods: Because bacteria can be transfered from food to food causing a REALLY BAD sickness... just dont do it.|||Cross contamination, or in lay mans terms, FOOD POISONING!!!!!!!!!|||Bacteria and contamination.|||Raw foods, especially meat contain bacteria that would die off when cooked. You don't want to transfer these bacteria to th cooked food or you might get food poisoning.|||Raw meats contain bugs that are killed during the cooking process, these can be harmful and if cooked food comes into contact with raw meat then the bugs will be ingested when the food is eaten, this is how e-coli (sp?) outbreaks come about etc.|||If you have to ask that you wont cook for me,so there.|||cross contamination|||Basic hygeine to prevent spreading germs and bacteria...Don't query it just do it .|||because we cook things to kill the bacteria. and raw food still has bacteria, and the bacteria from the raw food would go on the cooked food and you would eat it and get ill. for example on veg thats not washed you could catch toxoplasmosis|||Raw poultry should be kept away from other foods, because the surface may be contaminated with bacteria. Never allow poultry to drip on to other foods, and cut it with a different knife on a different chopping board. Wash everything thoroughly afterwards. Always ensure chicken is properly cooked throughout.|||Hi If you were to put raw food above cooked food you can have cross contamination. E.G. if you Had a cooked Lasagna in the fridge and some raw meet above it, if blood from the raw meet fell on to the cooked meet and you then heated the cooked meet, You will have incubated the natural contamination that we kill off by cooking thoroughly, You can keep the two in the same fridge, but keep all uncooked meet at the bottom of the fridge. You do not get food poisoning from eating raw meat! only when you heat slightly cooked meat(or rare meat) slowly.|||Because of cross contamination. When food is cooked it kills some of the bacteria. You dont want these bacteria to transfer from raw food to your cooked food. It'll give you a bad tummy.|||Contamination - bacteria, you must keep them apart. Raw on the bottom of your fridge is the golden rule.|||Fruits and vegetables: Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime. Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage. Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetables, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours. When serving food: Always use a clean plate. Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food. When refrigerating food: Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in containers or sealed plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other foods. Raw juices often contain harmful bacteria. Store eggs in their original carton and refrigerate as soon as possible. http://www.health.state.mn.us/foodsafety鈥?/a> Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, time and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly increasing in numbers to the point where some can cause illness. Therefore, understanding the important role temperature plays in keeping food safe is critical. If we know the temperature at which food has been handled, we can then answer the question, "Is it safe?" The "Danger Zone" (40 掳F-140 掳F) Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 掳 and 140 掳F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the "Danger Zone." That's why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 掳F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour. If you are traveling with cold foods, bring a cooler with a cold source. If you are cooking, use a hot campfire or portable stove. It is difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source when traveling, so it鈥檚 best to cook foods before leaving home, cool them, and transport them cold. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/How鈥?/a>|||Avoid cross-contamination. Bacteria grows easily in the raw food, and avoid food poisoning.|||food poisoning may play a part in it!?!|||its called bacteria and or food poisoning, botulism does any of this sound familiar? thats the reason behind not mixing them together... good luck|||cross contamination|||unless you want food poisening my best advise is to keep them apart... its all to do with cross contamination.|||Because on raw food there are dangerous bacteria on it and and if u don't keep them separate the Bactria on the raw food will go on the cooked food. And if u do eat food with Bactria.... FOOD POISONING. (im only 11 and i have to memorise it all..)|||It's in the science...short answer= bugs are present in the uncooked meat. Once cooked the meat should be covered and kept separate from the raw meat so as not to reintroduce any "bugs" which won't be eliminated because the meat is already cooked. Also you wouldn't want fluids dripping from one to the other. It's better for you and anyone else you live with or cook for.