Food safety at home - Do's & don'ts
1. Wash your hands Don't just wash when you are preparing food or before eating, it is also important to wash them after going to the toilet, after touching bins as well as after touching pets. Hands can spread bacteria easily. Dry them properly too;...
1. Wash your hands
Don't just wash when you are preparing food or before eating, it is also important to wash them after going to the toilet, after touching bins as well as after touching pets. Hands can spread bacteria easily. Dry them properly too; if they are wet they will spread bacteria more easily.
2. Keep raw meat separate
It is important to keep meat away from other raw foods as it contains harmful bacteria. Don't prepare ready-to-eat food using a chopping board or knife that you have used to prepare raw meat, unless they have been washed thoroughly.
3. Make sure food is cooked properly
Cooking food properly will kill harmful bacteria. Check that it is really hot all the way through by checking the middle. It is especially important to check that meat has been properly cooked. Make sure there is no pink meat left. With birds, check that the juices don't have any pink or red in them. If you eat whole cuts rare, make sure they have been properly "sealed" as this kills the bacteria on the outside. Don't eat the following types of meat rare: Poultry, pork, burgers, sausages, chicken nuggets, rolled joints, kebabs.
4. Only reheat once
Cool cooked food that you are not going to eat as quickly as possible, ideally within one or two hours, and then store it in the fridge. Don't keep leftovers for longer than two days. When you reheat food, make sure that it is piping hot all the way through and do not reheat food more than once.
5. Check your pans
It is best not to use aluminium pans when you are cooking foods that are highly acidic as this may increase you ingestion of aluminium. Acidic foods include tomatoes, rhubarb, cabbage, and many soft fruits.
6. Store food safely
When you are preparing food keep it out of the fridge for the shortest time possible; generally you should not leave food out for more than two hours. Follow instructions on labels and ensure that foods which need to be refrigerated are. Outside of the fridge, keep foods such as pasta and rice in sealed bags or containers. Only reuse plastic water bottles if their condition hasn't deteriorated and you can wash them properly. Make sure raw meat and poultry is stored in sealed containers that are placed on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Don't store food on the floor as it can encourage pests. It is ok to freeze raw meat, as long as you use it within two days of defrosting. If you defrost raw meat and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again. Do not store food in an opened tin can; empty it into a container. If you use microwavable cling film, make sure it does not touch the food when you use it in the microwave. Do not use aluminium kitchen foil to store acidic foods.
7. Keep clean
Bacteria can spread on worktops and chopping boards so it is important to keep them clean. Dishwashers are very good at cleaning chopping boards as they clean at a very high temperature which kills bacteria. Ideally it is best to have a separate chopping board just for the preparation of raw meat. It is important to wash kitchen cloths and sponges regularly as they are the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. If possible, use different cloths for different jobs to help prevent bacteria spreading. It is also important to wash tea towels regularly for the same reason.
For more details check out the FSA website: www.foodstandards.gov.uk
Don't just wash when you are preparing food or before eating, it is also important to wash them after going to the toilet, after touching bins as well as after touching pets. Hands can spread bacteria easily. Dry them properly too; if they are wet they will spread bacteria more easily. 2. Keep raw meat separate
It is important to keep meat away from other raw foods as it contains harmful bacteria. Don't prepare ready-to-eat food using a chopping board or knife that you have used to prepare raw meat, unless they have been washed thoroughly. 3. Make sure food is cooked properly
Cooking food properly will kill harmful bacteria. Check that it is really hot all the way through by checking the middle. It is especially important to check that meat has been properly cooked. Make sure there is no pink meat left. With birds, check that the juices don't have any pink or red in them. If you eat whole cuts rare, make sure they have been properly "sealed" as this kills the bacteria on the outside. Don't eat the following types of meat rare: Poultry, pork, burgers, sausages, chicken nuggets, rolled joints, kebabs. 4. Only reheat once
Cool cooked food that you are not going to eat as quickly as possible, ideally within one or two hours, and then store it in the fridge. Don't keep leftovers for longer than two days. When you reheat food, make sure that it is piping hot all the way through and do not reheat food more than once. 5. Check your pans
It is best not to use aluminium pans when you are cooking foods that are highly acidic as this may increase you ingestion of aluminium. Acidic foods include tomatoes, rhubarb, cabbage, and many soft fruits. 6. Store food safely
When you are preparing food keep it out of the fridge for the shortest time possible; generally you should not leave food out for more than two hours. Follow instructions on labels and ensure that foods which need to be refrigerated are. Outside of the fridge, keep foods such as pasta and rice in sealed bags or containers. Only reuse plastic water bottles if their condition hasn't deteriorated and you can wash them properly. Make sure raw meat and poultry is stored in sealed containers that are placed on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Don't store food on the floor as it can encourage pests. It is ok to freeze raw meat, as long as you use it within two days of defrosting. If you defrost raw meat and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again. Do not store food in an opened tin can; empty it into a container. If you use microwavable cling film, make sure it does not touch the food when you use it in the microwave. Do not use aluminium kitchen foil to store acidic foods. 7. Keep clean
Bacteria can spread on worktops and chopping boards so it is important to keep them clean. Dishwashers are very good at cleaning chopping boards as they clean at a very high temperature which kills bacteria. Ideally it is best to have a separate chopping board just for the preparation of raw meat. It is important to wash kitchen cloths and sponges regularly as they are the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. If possible, use different cloths for different jobs to help prevent bacteria spreading. It is also important to wash tea towels regularly for the same reason. For more details check out the FSA website: www.foodstandards.gov.uk