When preparing for the upcoming Easter celebrations the Department of Health is reminding Territorians to use simple safe food handling tips to avoid an unwanted case of food poisoning.
Environmental Health Senior Policy Officer Tracy Ward said that bacteria begin to thrive in temperatures between 5 and 60 degrees and that means that any raw or cooked food that is outside a fridge is exposed.
“It’s important to transport food in insulated containers with lots of ice-bricks, gel packs or frozen water bottles to keep food chilled.”
“Don’t transport cold food with cooked food that is still warm. Instead separate the cooked food into another insulated container to keep it warm.”
Food poisoning can result in severe vomiting and diarrhoea, sometimes requiring hospitalisation.
“Avoid leaving food out
for longer than necessary and completely discard food that has been outside
temperature control for four hours or more.”
“To create more fridge space, move the drinks to an esky.”
The following general food safety tips are always important to apply:
Make sure you wash your hands, chopping boards and knives between handling food that is to be served raw (such as salads) and food to be cooked (seafood, meat, chicken) to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
Perishable foods, such as raw and cooked meats, poultry, chilled ready-to-eat foods, dairy and eggs, need to be kept below 5 degrees Celsius. If refrigeration is not available these foods should be kept in an esky with plenty of ice.
Cook your poultry, minced meats, sausages and other pre-prepared meats until they reach 75 degrees Celsius in the middle and no pink is visible in the middle.
Never put cooked meat on to plates that have been used for raw meat.
Keep raw and cooked foods separate and use leak proof containers to avoid cross contamination.
Don’t prepare food for your family and friends if you are ill.
Treat leftovers with care and consume within three days.
Make sure you use safe drinking water for cooking and drinking.
Always wash your hands thoroughly or use disposable wipes.
Media contact: Gail Liston 0427 596 954