Food safety English HE2657

Food safety is about making sure that food is safe to eat and does not make people sick with food poisoning (vomiting and diarrhoea).
Remember: Clean, Cook, Chill so you don’t get ill.

Clean

• Always wash your hands with soap and dry them before cooking, after touching raw
  meat, and before eating.
• You do not need to wash chicken and raw meat from the supermarket. Washing will spread germs in your kitchen.
• Wash fruit and veggies with cold water and dry them with a clean towel.
• After preparing meat and seafood, wash chopping boards and kitchen tools in hot soapy water and dry well.
• Use different chopping boards for raw meat, seafood, and ready-to-eat foods like
  salads and cheese.

Cook

• Reheat leftovers until they are steaming hot before eating them. Do not reheat leftovers more than once.
• Cook raw chicken, sausages, and mince patties until the juices run clear and they are not pink in the centre.
• Expired food is often smelly or slimy. If in doubt, throw it out.

Chill

• Eat leftovers within two days of cooking.
• Keep leftovers in a container and store them in the fridge within two hours of cooking.
• Defrost frozen foods like meat fully or they will not cook properly in the middle. If foods need thawing, defrost them in your fridge overnight in a closed container.
• Store raw meat on the bottom shelf of the fridge, so juices don’t drip on to other food.
• If eating outdoors, use a chilly bin with ice packs to keep food cold.