Abstract: A removable color coded top plate for a commercial food service scale to prevent cross-contamination from weighing different raw foods. A rectangular top plate has a specially shaped slot underneath which removably engages an L-shaped connector rod held vertically on a scale having a weight indicator. The top plate can be made of transparent plastic. A color coding of top plates consisting of red for raw meat, blue for seafood, yellow for poultry, green for produce, tan for cooked meat, and clear for miscellaneous food can be employed. The color-coded top plate can be readily removed when weighing a different food, e.g., chicken after meat, to ensure no cross-contamination between these raw and cooked foods.