Washing fruit and vegetables
It's advisable to wash fruit and vegetables under cold
running water before you eat them. This helps to remove visible dirt and germs
that may be on the surface.
Food regulations in Australia help maintain food safety up
to the time it reaches the consumer. After that, it’s up to us – the consumer.
Each year, there are an estimated 4.1 million cases of food poisoning in
Australia – if you think you have food poisoning check the Health direct website
for medical advice. A few simple actions can cut the likelihood of food
poisoning drastically! Check our
Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove
these germs.
Never use washing-up liquid or other household cleaning
products, as they might not be safe for human consumption and you may
accidentally leave some of the product on the food.
How to handle riskier foods safely
- Eggs
- Fruit and vegetables
- Pasta and rice
- Poultry
- Red meat – beef, pork, lamb, venison and kangaroo
- Seafood
- Unpasteurised milk and cheese
- Natural toxins in food
- Preparing food for the vulnerable
- Aged care facilities and food safety when taking food for
residents
- Indigenous communities
- Infants and young children food safety
Cleaning up
Wash all worktops and chopping boards before and after
cooking, as they can be a source of cross-contamination.
The average kitchen chopping board has around 200% more
faecal bacteria on it than the average toilet seat.
Damp sponges and cloths are the perfect place for bacteria
to breed. Studies have shown the kitchen sponge to have the highest number of
germs in the home.
Chill
Food that is meant to be kept chilled should be! As soon as
possible after purchase meat, poultry, dairy foods, vegetables, salad
ingredients, etc should be refrigerated at or below 5ºC. Sounds easy but often
food is left in hot cars or put in refrigerators that are not cold enough. A
fridge thermometer should be used to make sure the temperature is at or below
5ºC. The temperature should be adjusted in line with changing seasons and the
amount stored. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Cooked food should be stored in
covered containers and either put in the fridge to cool, or frozen immediately.
Frozen foods should be defrosted in the fridge NOT on the kitchen bench. If
in doubt, throw it out!
Cook
Properly cooking food minimises the risk of food poisoning.
Cook chicken, minced or boned meats, hamburger, stuffed meats and sausages
right through until they reach 75°C using a meat thermometer. Serve hot
food steaming hot above 60ºC. Defrost frozen poultry and rolled and stuffed
meats thoroughly before cooking. Always follow cooking instructions on packaged
foods.
Washing hands
Our hands are one of the main ways that germs are spread, so
it's important to wash them thoroughly with soap and warm water before cooking,
after touching the bin, going to the toilet, and before and after touching raw
food.
Storing and preparing meat
Raw meat, including poultry, can contain harmful bacteria
that can spread easily to anything it touches. This includes other food,
worktops, tables, chopping boards and knives.
"Lots of people think they should wash raw chicken, but
there's no need," says food hygiene expert
Adam Hardgrave.
"Any germs on it will be killed if you cook it
thoroughly. In fact, if you do wash chicken, you could splash germs on to the
sink, worktop, dishes or anything else nearby."
Some people believe that freezing chicken kills germs such
as Campy lobacter. The freezing process does reduce Campylobacter levels, but
does not eliminate it completely.
The safest way to kill all traces of Campylobacter is by
cooking poultry thoroughly.
Read more about why you shouldn't wash raw chicken.
Take particular care to keep raw food away from ready-to-eat
foods such as bread, salad and fruit. These foods won't be cooked before you
eat them, so any germs that get on to them won't be killed.
"Use different chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat
foods," says Hardgrave.
When storing raw meat, always keep it in a clean, sealed
container and place it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, where it can't touch
or drip on to other foods.
Cooking
Cooking food at the right temperature will ensure that any
harmful bacteria are killed. Check that food is steaming hot throughout
before you eat it.
