A guide to tell you what to do at each step in food handling - from shopping to storing leftovers - to avoid food poisoning.
Never had food poisoning? Actually, it's called food borne illness. Perhaps you have, but thought you were sick with the flu. Some 2 million plus uk citizens will suffer from foodborne illness this year.
Why? Because at the right temperature, bacteria you can't see , smell or taste can multiply to the millions in a few short hours. In large numbers, they cause illness.
Buy cold food last, get it home fast
When you are out shopping, buy food last. take food straight home to the
refrigerator. Never leave food in a hot car!
Do not buy anything that you will not use before the use by date.
Do not buy food in poor condition. make sure refrigerated food is cold to the
touch. Frozen food should be rock hard. Canned goods should be free from dents
cracks or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.
Keep everything clean. Thaw in Refrigerator
Wash hands in hot soapy water before preparing food and after using the
bathroom, changing nappies and handling pets.
Bacteria can live in kitchen towels, sponges and cloths. Wash them often.
Replace sponges every few weeks.
Keep raw meat, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food. For
instance, wash your hands, cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after
cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients.
Use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide
in grooves.
Thaw food in the microwave or refrigerator, NOT on the kitchen work surfaces.
The danger? Bacteria can grow on the outer layers of the food before the inside
thaws. Marinate in the refrigerator too.
Never leave it out over 2 hours
Use clean dishes and utensils to serve food, not those used in the preparation.
Serve grilled food on a clean plate too, not one that held raw meat, poultry or
fish.
Never leave perishable food out of the refrigerator over 2 hours! Bacteria
that can cause food poisoning grow quickly in warm temperatures.
Pack lunches in insulated carriers with a cold pack.
Caution children never to leave lunches indirect sun or on a warm radiator.
Carry picnic food in a cooler with a cold pack.
When possible, put the cool box in the shade. Keep the lid on as much as
possible.
Party time? Keep cold party food on ice or serve it throughout the
gathering from platters from the refrigerator.
Likewise, divide hot party food into smaller serving platters.
Keep platters refrigerated until time to warm them up for serving.
Use small containers for quick cooling:
Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick
cooling in the refrigerator.
Do not pack the refrigerator - cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
With poultry or other stuffed meats remove the stuffing and refrigerate
it in separate containers.
Reheating:
Bring sauces, soups and gravy to the boil. Heat other leftovers thoroughly
to 70 deg.C.
Microwave leftovers using a lid or vented plastic wrap for thorough heating.
When in doubt, throw it out:
Safe refrigerator and freezer storage time limits are given for many common foods
in the "Cold Storage" table. But what about something you totally forgot
about and may have kept too long?
| Product-meat | Refrigerator(+0deg.C) | Freezer(-20deg.C) |
| Bacon Gammon | 7 days | 4 to 6 weeks |
| fresh meats steaks chops joints | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 6 months |
| fresh poultry | 1 to 2 days | up to 1 year |
| cooked meats | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| liver kidneys hearts | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| fresh eggs | up to 3 weeks | do not freeze |
| soups vegetable or meat | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| sausages | 2 to 3 days | 1 to 2 months |
| meat pies | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months |
Select only high quality, fresh meats to freeze.
Cured meats such as ham and bacon can only be frozen
for a short period of time (one to three months) because
the salt in them hastens rancidity.
Depending on individual preferences for the number
of servings and cooking methods, the meat can be cut
into roasts, rolled roasts, steaks, chops, stew meat,
minced meat, etc., before freezing.
Package the meat in freezer paper or wrap, using butcher wrap. Freezer bags or containers can be used for ground beef, stew beef or other meats frozen into small portions. Store-bought meats need to be over-wrapped, since their clear packaging is not moisture-vapor resistant. If you purchase film-wrapped meats from the meat packer, check to see if the wrap is a new heavy-duty freezer film. If so, it needs no over-wrapping. Package the meat in meal-size portions, removing as many bones as possible (they take up freezer space). Place two layers of freezer paper or wrap between slices or patties of meat so they are easier to separate when frozen. This will help speed thawing.