Food Hygiene and Safety: notes

Why it matters

• Food poisoning: illness caused by eating food with harmful bacteria, toxins or chemicals. Signs are vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain.

Safe temperatures

• Danger zone: 5 to 63 degrees Celsius. Bacteria multiply fastest here.
• Fridge: 5 degrees Celsius or below. Hot holding: 63 degrees Celsius or above.
• Cook poultry to a core temperature of 75 degrees Celsius.

Good habits

• Wash hands with soap before cooking, after the toilet and after touching raw meat.
• Cross contamination: germs move from raw food to cooked food. Use separate boards and knives.
• Thaw meat in the fridge, not on the counter. Reheat leftovers until piping hot.
• Pests: flies, rats and cockroaches spread germs. Cover food and bin waste.