10 Top Tips for Food Safety at Home

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.

1. Properly chilling food in the fridge protects against food poisoning – the temperature should be between 0°C and 4°C / 32 and 40℉.
2. 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.
3. Refrigerators should never be over-filled – well-organized fridges allow for air to circulate properly, therefore maintaining the correct temperature.
4. Wash hands thoroughly with soapy, warm water and rinse and dry them well before and after preparing food.
5. Clean kitchen surfaces thoroughly and remove all clutter from surfaces before you start to cook to ensure good hygiene.
6. Pay attention to use-by dates, as well as how long non-dated foods have been kept.
7. 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.
8. Clean and change dishcloths, oven gloves and towels regularly.
9. Always cook food until the inside is steaming hot (at least 74°C / 165℉) to ensure all bacteria have been killed off.
10. 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.