STOP FOOD BUGS FAST

Food poisoning means more than vomiting and an upset tummy. In severe cases, it can lead to death. While we may like to blame the local takeaway, the truth is that 20 per cent of cases occur in the home.

Preparation

Bacteria can be passed to and from people, surfaces, food, animals and even to and from raw and cooked foods. This is known as cross-contamination and can be avoided in the following ways.

Wash hands before cooking, after using the bathroom and ofter handling pets and raw foods, Use soap and warm watr, rub well for 30 seconds, rinse and then dry.

Use separate chopping boards and utensils when preparing ready-to-eat foods, such as salad, and those which are to be cooked, such as raw meat. If you have onlyone chopping board, wash it throughly in hot soapy water after preparing raw foods.

Thaw frozen foods in the fridge or microwave, not at room temperature or in the sink filled with water. Once thawed, cook immediately. Don’t refreeze thawed meat unless it is cooked first in, for example, a casserole.

When cooking large batches of food, eat it as soon as possible or, if you want to store it, subdivide into shallow containers and refrigerate immediately. Cooked food should be refrigerated as soon as possible.

Never place cooked foods on the same plates as raw products.

Cooking

Steaks, chops and whole roasts can be cooked to your preference, although very rare is not recommended.

Heating foods to above 75C will kill most bacteria. However, some bacteria can produce a poison or toxin in the food which is not destroyed by heating. You can’t rely on heating to make poorly handled food safe.

Microwaves do tend to heat foods unevenly, so rotate and stir products during cooking. And wait until standing time is over before you check that cooking is complete-foods go on cooking even when the microwave is turned off.

Particular care should be taken with rolled or stuffed meads, mince, sausages, hamburger patties and whole poultry. All of these should be cooked right through, leaving no pink meat, as bacteria are distributed throughout them. If you have a meat thermometer, check that the internal temperature of hamburgers and poultry is about 75C.

Leftovers

Place leftovers in the fridge to cool when the steam has evaporated. Do not leave to cool completely on a benchtop. Use within two to three days.

When reheating foods, heat to steaming hot (above 75C). throw away any remaining leftovers. Don’t reheat food more than once.

Storage

· Foods need to be stored properly to retain their nutrient value and to keep them safe. As a general rule, store all foods as directed on the lable.
· Store raw meats near the bottom of the fridge to ensure that juices do not drip onto other foods, or place in a container in the fridge. Use within two to three days. Check the use-by date.
· Freeze meat and chicken which you don’t intend to use before the use-by date. This extends the length of time you can keep them, although there may be some loss in eating quality.
· Check that the temperature of your refrigerator is below 5C and your freezer about minus 18C.

Cleaning

· If a tea towel is used, change it when it becomes soiled or wet.
· Disinfect chopping boards used for raw food at least once a week in a solution of weak bleach-made from a teaspoon of bleach in a litre of water-or an antibacterial cleaning product.
· Clean all work surfaces and utensils well. Unclean surfaces can harbor the microbes that can cause trouble.
· Keep dishcloths clean and dry and change them often.
· Clean your refrigerator and cupboards regularly. Crumbs in cupboards can attract pests and dirty refrigerators can harbor bacteria.
· Wash dishes as soon as possible after you have finished eating. Don’t leave them to soak in water. After washing, allow them to air-dry.