Fully cooked ready-to-eat (RTE) products that touch surfaces in the production environment after cooking are considered:

Fully cooked ready-to-eat (RTE) products that come into contact with surfaces in the production environment after cooking are categorized as post-lethality exposed. This classification is crucial because it highlights the potential for recontamination of the product. After cooking, which is designed to eliminate pathogens, any subsequent contact with surfaces—and potentially with pathogens—can compromise the product's safety.

This situation underscores the importance of proper handling and sanitation practices in food processing environments to mitigate risks of foodborne illnesses. Recognizing products as post-lethality exposed allows manufacturers and inspectors to apply appropriate safety measures and controls, ensuring the safety of the food supply chain.

The other choices, while they may relate to food safety and processing, do not specifically address the condition of being exposed after the lethality step in the cooking process, which is critical in this context.