Food 4 Life - A first step to food safety

A first step to food safety

All foods need to be handled and stored safely to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria which can cause food poisoning. The number of cases of food poisoning in Northern Ireland has risen dramatically over recent years, with many being traced back to food which was prepared in the home.  This section will examine the areas of  purchase, storage and cooking food to ensure its safety.

There are a number of steps you can take in order to ensure that your purchase, store and cook food safely.

Shopping

Carefully checking the labels on foods and following the instructions is an important way of reduce your chances of becoming ill through food poisoning.

While transporting foods home always ensure meat and poultry are properly wrapped up.

Raw food should be kept separate from cooked ready to eat foods.

Pack chilled and frozen foods together if possible and get them home and into a fridge or freezer as soon as you can.

Storing

All bacteria, including those that are harmful, need four things to survive and grow

• Food

Starve bacteria in your kitchen by keeping all work surfaces, dish cloths, utensils and containers hygienically clean.

• Moisture

The moisture which bacteria need to survive can be found in many foods. Dried foods such as powdered milk, cereals, or dried egg do not support their growth if properly stored. However, if moisture is added, any bacteria still alive in these products can quickly begin to grow again.

• Warmth

Bacteria which can cause food poisoning grow readily at temperatures in the range 5 to 63°C. Most grow quickest at or around the temperature of the human body, 37°C. This is why the temperature of your fridge should be kept below 5°C. The temperature of your freezer should be kept below -18°C. Do not overload the fridge or leave the fridge door open longer than necessary, as this may cause the temperature to rise above the safe limit.

• Time

Reduce the time bacteria have to grow by getting perishable, chilled and frozen foods home and properly stored as quickly as you can. Eat all perishable foods by their 'use-by' date.

Take one or more of these away, and the ability of bacteria to grow and cause food poisoning is reduced.

When storing  food, always remember that food should be stored

• At the correct temperature
• Under the right conditions
• For the correct time
• And always read the instructions!

When storing food in the fridge, food should be stored as follows:

Top Shelf:            Dairy products (low risk foods)

Next Shelf:         Cooked Meats

Next Shelf:         Raw meats (covered to prevent drips)

Bottom:               Salad and vegetables

To learn more and better understand refrigerated storage, why not try out our Interactive Fridge

Interactive Fridge

Cooking

• Cooking or re-heating food properly (until the internal temperature reaches 70°C for at least 2 minutes) kills most of the harmful bacteria which can cause food poisoning.
• Comminuted meats, such as burgers or sausages, should always be cooked until the juices run clear, and they are no longer pink on the inside.
• Always pre-heat the oven before cooking and follow the cooking times on labels or in recipes.
• Large joints of meat need special care to ensure that the centre is properly cooked. A meat thermometer can help make sure that the correct temperature has been reached.
• Frozen meat must be thawed all the way through before cooking. The best way to thaw frozen meat is in the fridge or using a microwave oven.
• Food that is cooked for eating later should be cooled as quickly as possible and then stored in the fridge (above raw foods) until use.
• Never reheat cooked food more than once, and make sure to reheat until it is piping hot all the way through.

Look for Quality

The Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme is a code of practice operated by beef and sheep farmers. It is, if you like, the Highway Code of Beef and Sheep Production. Like the Highway Code, it is nothing more than normal practices, which have been written down, so that farmers can follow them and consumers can be informed about how their food is produced.

In the same way that the Highway Code has to be recognised by all road users, the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Code is recognised by everyone in the food chain - farmers, processors, retailers and consumers - both at home and abroad. It is also recognised by the European Union (EU) as giving a 'gold plated' assurance about the uncompromising quality and character of the farm on which your meat is produced; and it gives you the consumer the best possible assurances that it will be as SAFE, HEALTHY and WHOLESOME as possible.

Look for the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance logo (see above)

10 Simple Steps to Meat Safety and Hygiene

Follow these 10 simple steps to make sure that meats stay safe in the home.

• Take chilled and frozen meat home quickly. Once home, place in the fridge or freezer at once.
• Ensure that your fridge and freezer are running at the correct temperature using a fridge/freezer thermometer. The fridge should be kept at 0 – 5°C, and the freezer below -18°C.
• Keep raw and cooked foods separately. Store raw food at the bottom of the fridge and do not allow the juices of raw meat to drip onto cooked foods. Use separate chopping boards and knives for raw and cooked meats.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw foods, after going to the toilet, and after handling pets. Keep pets out of the kitchen.
• Cook meat products such as burgers/mince/sausages and rolled joints until there is no pink meat and until the juices run clear. Always follow the cooking instructions.
• Always thaw frozen meat at the bottom of the fridge. Defrost thoroughly before cooking. Do not re-freeze.
• Cooked meat leftovers should be cooled quickly at room temperature within 2 hours and then stored in the fridge for no more than 2 days. Reheat food thoroughly only once until piping hot.
• Cook foods over 75°C or until piping hot or keep foods cold at less than 5°C.
• Use all pre-packed meat before the use-by-date, and always remove canned meat from the cans once opened. Refrigerate and use within 2 days.
• Keep your kitchen clean, wash and disinfect worktops and utensils between handling food which is raw, and food which is cooked.