It’s easy to forget the basics when you’re used to preparing food for the family multiple times a day – here’s a handy reminder of 10 tips for food safety at home.
- Properly chilling food in the fridge protects against food poisoning – the temperature should be between 0°C and 4°C / 32 and 40℉.
- Raw meat and fish should be covered and placed on the bottom shelves of fridges to reduce the chance of juices dripping onto other foods.
- Refrigerators should never be over-filled – well-organized fridges allow for air to circulate properly, therefore maintaining the correct temperature.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soapy, warm water and rinse and dry them well before and after preparing food.
- Clean kitchen surfaces thoroughly and remove all clutter from surfaces before you start to cook to ensure good hygiene.
- Pay attention to use-by dates, as well as how long non-dated foods have been kept.
- Use chopping boards when preparing food in the kitchen and wash thoroughly with hot soapy water between uses. It’s a good idea to have different coloured chopping boards for different types of food.
- Clean and change dishcloths, oven gloves and towels regularly.
- Always cook food until the inside is steaming hot (at least 74°C / 165℉) to ensure all bacteria have been killed off.
- Keep a probe thermometer in the kitchen to check food temperatures. Food should be cooked to at least 74°C / 165℉ and served at least 60°C / 140℉ to ensure food safety.