Keep your food safe this summer

Clean

Follow the 20+20 hand washing rule before and after handling food

• wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water

• dry your hands for 20 seconds with a clean dry towel or paper towel.

Always wash your hands:

• before handling food

• after handling raw meat and poultry

• after going to the toilet or changing nappies

• after handling pets

• after gardening.

Also:

• before you start handling food, make sure all surfaces and equipment used for food are spotlessly clean

• wash knives and utensils, and scrub chopping boards between preparation of raw and cooked foods.

Cook

• defrost frozen foods in the fridge before cooking - not on your bench top

• cool hot foods, covered and for no more than 30 minutes before refrigerating

• reheat leftovers until steaming hot throughout and don’t reheat them more than once

• precook chicken, meat patties and sausages before barbecuing

• make sure all meat gets cooked thoroughly until the juices run clear and there is no pink flesh

• place cooked items on a clean plate - not one already used for raw meat.

Cover

• cover perishable food before storing it in the cupboard or fridge

• cover and refrigerate or chill leftovers as soon as possible after cooking

• throw out perishable food that you have left at room temperature for more than two hours.

Chill

• keep food very cold or very hot - bacteria causing foodborne illnesses thrive at room temperature

• a chilly bin is a good way of keeping chilled products cold when taking them home from the supermarket

• put a frozen chilly pad with your picnic food to keep food safe

• defrost meat and poultry thoroughly before cooking.