Christmas is around the corner and soon the smell of festive feasts will fill kitchens across the Beaches. But without a little planning, your holiday spreads could come with an unwelcome guest - bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Follow these tips to keep your celebrations safe and full of cheer.
Fridge basics
• Check that your fridge is between zero and 5°C, anything higher creates the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply.
• Check the ‘use by’ dates of all your items and use up the ones that are close to expiring.
• Return ingredients to the fridge immediately after use.
• Avoid overloading the fridge, as it can limit airflow.
Safe defrosting
• Defrost meat on the bottom shelf of your fridge, so the juices don’t contaminate other foods.
• To defrost properly, allow 10 – 12 hours per kilogram of meat.
Hand hygiene
• Wash your hands with warm soapy water before and throughout preparing food.
• Clean utensils, cutting boards and plates regularly.
• Use separate items for raw and cooked foods.
Meat matters
Cook meat thoroughly by ensuring no pink remains, juices run clear, and the thickest part reaches 75°C (a food thermometer is the safest way to check).
Seafood safety
• Bring a cooler bag to the seafood store.
• Select prawns, oysters and mussels that smell fresh.
• Keep your seafood cold at home and eat or freeze it quickly.
• Eat prawns within 3 days or freeze them (can be kept frozen for up to 3 months).
• Opened oysters should be eaten within 24 hours.
Egg essentials
• Purchased eggs should be clean, have no cracks and not stored in sunlight.
• All foods containing raw eggs should be made fresh daily and stored below 5oC.
• Eat eggs before their 'use by’ date.
Love your leftovers
• Refrigerate uneaten meals within 2 hours.
• Eat refrigerated leftovers within 2 days or freeze them for later.
• Don’t keep chilled dishes outside for longer than 4 hours.
• Only reheat food once, and when you do, make sure its steaming hot.