What is an important sanitation step when handling garlic butter?

Washing hands after every use is crucial in maintaining food safety and preventing cross-contamination while handling garlic butter. This practice ensures that any bacteria or allergens on your hands do not transfer to the garlic butter or other foods, preserving the integrity and safety of the food being prepared. Clean hands are fundamental in a kitchen environment, especially when handling ingredients that can easily harbor pathogens, such as butter, which can attract bacteria if not handled properly.

Other options, while relevant to sanitation and food handling, do not directly address the immediate importance of hand hygiene in this context. Although using a separate utensil for each use helps in reducing cross-contamination, the primary focus should be on ensuring personal cleanliness to safeguard food safety. Keeping garlic butter refrigerated is essential for food preservation, but it doesn't specifically relate to the handling process. Lastly, while minimizing direct contact with the container can help, it's simply not as critical as maintaining clean hands after each use.