Which item is a potential physical contaminant?

Jewelry is considered a potential physical contaminant in food preparation and service environments primarily because it can inadvertently fall into food, creating a risk of injury or compromise the safety of the food product. Items like rings, bracelets, and necklaces can break off or shed pieces that might contaminate food items or surfaces, posing a safety hazard to consumers.

In contrast, while items such as sanitizer, sweat, and hand soap are not classified as physical contaminants, they can pose other types of contamination concerns. For example, sanitizers are chemical agents used to reduce pathogens but are not physical objects that might accidentally enter food. Sweat is a bodily fluid that can introduce bacteria but is again not a physical object that can contaminate food the way jewelry can. Hand soap, similar to sanitizer, is a chemical product designed for cleanliness but doesn't carry the risk of being a physical object that might end up in food. Thus, jewelry stands out specifically as a tangible object that could physically contaminate food.