Published on Monday, 18 December 2023 at 3:14:24 PM
Play it Food Safe this Festive Season
The City of Nedlands are reminding residents to take care when preparing and storing food during summer bbq's, picnics and other celebrations.
The rate of food poisoning often increases over summer because warmer temperatures allow more rapid bacterial growth in foods, especially if they are left out of the fridge.
Food poisoning is simple to prevent if you follow food safety tips:
- Cook foods especially chicken, eggs, and mince, all the way through to kill bacteria. If you are cooking chicken on the barbeque, cook it until the juices run clear;
- Separate foods such as raw chicken, cooked meat, eggs and fruit and vegetables to prevent cross-contamination in the fridge and when cooking. Use separate utensils and chopping boards
- Clean hands, utensils and benchtops with hot soapy water during and after use
- Chill perishable foods below 5̊C. Perishable foods left out of the fridge for more than four hours should be thrown out.
Leftovers are arguably the best thing about Christmas, but remember to:
- return leftovers to the fridge as soon as possible and do not leave at room temperature for longer than two hours
- throw out foods containing meat, dairy products or other perishable goods that have been left out of the fridge for more than four hours
- have an esky of ice or ice bricks to keep leftovers and other foods cold at barbecues and picnics
- keep leftovers for no longer than three days, however this may need to be less depending on the type of food and the way it has been handled
You cannot rely on smell alone to gauge the safety of food as food poisoning bacteria usually do not cause food to look, smell or taste spoiled.
Anyone who thinks they may have become ill from eating contaminated food should consult their doctor as soon as possible. Putting together a list of food eaten in the previous 48 hours is also recommended.
Visit HealthyWA for more food safety tips: www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/foodsafety
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