What is RTE food?

• A. Raw meat that requires cooking.
• B. Frozen ready meals.
• C. Ready-to-eat food or shellfish from contaminated water.
• D. Baked goods that do not require refrigeration.

Answer: (C)

RTE foods are items that can be eaten without any further cooking or processing to be safe. They’re foods that have already been prepared in a way that eliminates or bypasses the need for cooking at the consumer level. The option describes ready-to-eat foods and mentions shellfish that can come from waters that may be contaminated as a context for why such foods require careful handling—because they are consumed without cooking, any contamination is not eliminated by heat at home. The other choices involve foods that typically require cooking or reheating, so they do not fit the definition of ready-to-eat.