Are you safe? May 2003

What should you do before you cook? What clothing should your wear? Why should you wash your hands? When is it important to wash your hands? How would you know if the ingredients are safe to use? Why should you tie back long hair?

Washing hands Always wash hands before cooking and after: going to the toilet; handling raw food, e.g. meat; touching hair, the mouth, spots or cuts; coughing or sneezing into your hands; blowing your nose; going out of the kitchen, e.g. to put the rubbish out.

How would you know how long these foods last? All packaged food has a date mark. A date mark: tells us by when a food is safe to eat; is in 2 formats: ‘use by’ or ‘best before’

Is it safe to eat? ‘Use by’ dates are used for perishable foods, e.g. cheese, milk and bacon. ‘Best before’ dates are used for less perishable foods, e.g. canned baked beans, jar of jam and frozen fish fingers.

Where should these foods be stored? Different foods are stored in a variety of ways to keep them safe to eat for longer. Dry cupboard Refrigerator Freezer

Raw and cooked foods Raw meat and poultry should be stored on the bottom shelf of the fridge to prevent cross-contamination.

Fruit and vegetables Always wash fruit and vegetables before you eat or use them to cook. This removes dirt and other and other particles.

Preparing food Are the kitchen, work surfaces and equipment clean? Are you clean and tidy while cooking?

Microbes Microbes are everywhere, but when they multiply they may cause food poisoning. Microbes multiply when they have: food; warmth; moisture; time. Hot food should be kept piping hot and eaten straight away.

Food poisoning Food poisoning can make people very ill. It is usually caused by a large number of food poisoning bacteria in a food. Food poisoning can be avoided with good hygienic practices and by cooking food properly.

Re-heating food Eating re-heated food is a common cause of food poisoning if the food does not get hot enough. Re-heat food so it is piping hot. Never re-heat food more than once.

Enjoy your food!