Prevention of Food Poisoning
The risk of food poisoning can be reduced by following this food safety advice:
- Immediately put cold foods into the refrigerator or freezer
- Keep raw meat and fish covered and at the bottom of the fridge or use separate fridges and freezers for raw meats and ready to eat foods
- Do not allow raw meat juices to come into contact with other food
- Make sure all food is covered and chilled
- Wash your hands after visiting the toilet, before handling food or touching ready to eat food
- Thaw and cook meat thoroughly to kill off any harmful bacteria
- Use different chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods
- Make sure that chopping boards are washed and dried properly before storage to reduce the risk of bacteria growing
- Make sure any reheated food is piping hot (above 75 oC)
- Wash salads thoroughly and rinse fruit and vegetables under running water before eating them
- Keep kitchen work surfaces clean and disinfected
- Throw away any food that is past its use by date or that you are unsure of
- Do not leave food out for longer than a couple of hours or if it’s a hot day, an hour
- Put any cooked left-over’s into the fridge as soon as they have cooled down
- Keep cold food cold and hot food hot.
- Keep all types of food and drink away from any household chemicals, such as cleaning products and bleach
- Clean knives and other utensils thoroughly after use with raw food
- Avoid unpasteurised milk, raw eggs and undercooked meat
- Keep pets away from work tops and food
- If you have any open cuts or sores, make sure they are covered with a waterproof dressing before touching food
- Check that your fridge and freezer are in good working order and set to the correct temperature (fridges should run below 8oC (preferably below 5 oC) and freezers below -18 oC)
- Do not over fill the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
