7 November 2009
Challenging times put focus on safe food
When economic conditions get tough, householders prepare more meals at home for
themselves – and look for food bargains to help cut costs.
The real skill in returning to cuisine basics for family meals or entertaining at home is
not just to be sensible with the shopping but to also store and prepare our food so it
is safe and healthy.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young, said Australian Food Safety
Week starting on Monday
would highlight good value in food and getting the benefits
from it at home.
“About a fifth of the more than one million estimated cases of food poisoning that
occur each year in Queensland are linked to poor food safety practices in the home,”
she said.
“We can all help to protect our families, friends and ourselves from food poisoning.”
One of the main causes of food poisoning is cross-contamination, which happens
when bacteria from raw foods including meat, poultry and vegetables with visible dirt,
such as unwashed potatoes, get transferred on to ready-to-eat foods.
They can spread via hands, chopping boards, knives and other kitchen implements.
Hands should
be cleaned
before preparing food and after handling any raw foods
such as chicken and meat.
Only equipment that has been thoroughly cleaned
should be used to prepare food,
especially food that will not be cooked or heated before being eaten, such as salads.
Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 5ºC.
Defrost frozen poultry, minced, rolled and stuffed meats thoroughly before cooking
and cook them
right through until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into
the middle.
Australian Food Safety Week from 9-15 November is an activity of the Food Safety
Information Council, a not-for-profit association with members from government,
business and community groups. Queensland Health is a member of the association.
There’s more information about preparing safe food at home on the Queensland
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Media contact:
Jamie Collins
(07) 3234 0215
NEWS 
