Food Safety

Foodborne illness is caused by bacteria like Campylobacter and Salmonella. Bacteria multiply very fast in warm, moist conditions. Luckily the illnesses these bacteria cause are avoidable. By following these simple food handling tips, you could be helping to keep your friends and family safe from foodborne illness.

Clean

• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water and dry them with a clean dry towel or paper towel
• wash and dry your hands before and after handling food
• wash and dry your hands every time after you touch raw meat or chicken
• before you start handling food, make sure all tools and all surfaces which you put food on are clean

Cook

• defrost frozen foods thoroughly before cooking
• pre-cook chicken, meat patties and sausages before barbecuing. Minced meat and sausages shoud be cooked right through, and pork and poultry juices should run clear - use a meat thermometer to check temperatures
• use one set of utensils for raw meat and chicken and another set for cooked food
• when cooking or eating outdoors ensure that all food remains covered and cool until ready to cook or eat
• reheat leftovers until steaming hot throughout and do not reheat more than once  

Chill

• ensure your fridge is operating at a temperature of between 2 and 4 degrees celcius
• keep all perishable foods cold until you are ready to use them
• use an icepack or chilly-bin to keep food cold outdoors 
• ensure raw meat and chicken is properly wrapped to stop drips; also keep raw meat and chicken away from other foods and below ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator
• cover and refrigerate food as soon as possible after cooking. Throw out perishable foods that you have left at room termperature for more than two hours.