Where should the chef place the tray of chicken breasts in the refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination?

To effectively prevent cross-contamination, it's crucial to store raw chicken in a location that minimizes the risk of its juices contaminating other foods. The most appropriate choice is to store the chicken breasts in a separate compartment, which is designed to keep them isolated from other food items, reducing the chance of any drips or splashes coming into contact with other products. This method maintains hygiene and food safety.

The other options present higher risks of cross-contamination. For instance, placing the chicken on the middle shelf does not provide any specific safeguards against potential drippings from the chicken affecting food items located on lower shelves. Storing the chicken on the bottom shelf next to the ground turkey is also problematic, since both are raw meats, which increases the risk of juices mixing and contaminating each other. Finally, keeping chicken on the top shelf risks having its juices drip onto foods that are ready to eat, such as vegetables, which can lead to foodborne illnesses. Therefore, utilizing a separate compartment is the best practice for safe food storage.