Summer has hit but along with this comes the risk of more food poisoning. Warmer weather means the bad food bugs multiply faster and food goes off much quicker. Young children, pregnant women and older people are more likely to get food poisoning.
Everyone has a role in preventing food poisoning
Clean
- Teach everyone in your family to wash their hands well and often. Use soap and warm water and wash for at least 20 seconds.
- Wash and dry chopping boards, utensils and work benches before using.
Separate
- Store and prepare raw foods separately from cooked food.
Cook
- Make sure meat and poultry is cooked thoroughly.
- Reheat leftovers until steaming hot or boiling.
Chill
- Check that your fridge is set to less than 5˚C.
- Throw away food if it has been out of the fridge for four hours or more.
- Put cooked food in the fridge once it has stopped steaming.
- Defrost food in the fridge, not on the bench.
Lunch box tips
- Use an insulated lunchbox or cooler bag.
- Pack an ice brick or frozen water bottle inside the lunchbox, keep it close to foods like yoghurt and cheese.
- Keep packed lunches in the fridge until leaving the house.
- Throw out any leftover food at the end of the day.
- Wash containers and lunchboxes in warm soapy water after each use.
Don't cook for others when you are sick
This is most important if you have been unwell with diarrhoea or vomiting, do not prepare food for others for at least two days after those symptoms have stopped.
For more Food Safety information.