Cross-contamination refers to the contamination of a starting material, intermediate product, or finished product with another starting material or product during production.
It may originate from poorly designed and operated air handling systems and dust extraction systems, from inadequate procedures for personnel and equipment and/or even from insufficiently cleaned equipment.
Multiple Causes
Cross-contamination is often caused by poor gowning and/or hand and surface sanitization.
From a clean room perspective, cross-contamination occurs when a surface or implement such as a tool, door handle or table has been contacted with a microorganism from someone’s hands.
Any individuals who come in contact with these surfaces also run the risk of cross-contamination.