Handling and storing food safely

Importance of food safety

There are at least 5.4 million cases of gastroenteritis food poisoning caused by contaminated food each year in Australia. Often, the food that makes us sick looks, smells and tastes normal. However, most food poisoning is easy to prevent.

Food poisoning symptoms

Common symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, though there are others depending on the cause. Food poisoning can be particularly serious in young children. Early medical attention is recommended.

The following simple rules prevents most food poisoning:

Keep hands clean:

wash hands and nails with warm running water and soap
dry hands with clean or disposable towel
cover cuts and infections on hands

Keep the kitchen clean:

keep clean all surfaces and equipment that comes in contact with food
prevent pests and animals coming into the kitchen

Handle food safety:

avoid handling food when sick
keep uncooked food separate from cooked and raw foods
use clean equipment
wash fruit and vegetables that are to be eaten raw, with running water

Cook high-risk foods thoroughly:

cook the following foods thoroughly (no pink):
mince; burger patties; rissoles, sausages, chicken

Keep hot food hot:

keep food when cooked at 60 degrees Celsius or above until served, or chill quickly
refrigerate or freeze food that is to be prepared in advance
reheat food as quickly as possible until steaming hot
cook or reheat packaged food according to label directions

Keep cold food cold:

refrigerate chilled and frozen foods soon after purchase
keep cold food at 5 degrees Celsius or less (in the fridge)
thaw frozen food in the fridge or microwave
place an ice brick or frozen water bottle in lunch boxes
prepare sandwiches in advance and freeze (cooked meats, fish, peanut paste, mashed egg will all freeze)
on very hot days include foods which don’t deteriorate with the heat (vegetable extract, peanut paste, dried fruit, processed cheeses and whole-wheat crackers are ideal).

Click here for more information (external link)