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Australian Food Safety Week 14 – 21 November 2020

This year’s theme for Australian Food Safety Week is Food Safety – It’s In Your Hands. It highlights the fact that most food poisoning cases are avoidable if basic food safety practices are followed.

Food poisoning can be more than a minor stomach upset. It can be life threatening for certain populations, especially for the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.

Australian Food Safety Week 2020 builds upon the good consumer behaviour established during the COVID-19 pandemic so that we can continue to reduce the amount of foodborne disease.

Consumers and food handlers can continue the good work by following these 5 simple food safety tips:

  1. CLEAN – wash hands with soap and running water before handling food and between handling raw foods and ready to eat foods. Wash up regularly, especially items which have been used for raw meat and poultry, and keep the kitchen surfaces & fridge clean.
  2. CHILL – keep the fridge at 5°C or lower. Refrigerate any leftovers as soon as they’ve stopped steaming and use within 2-3 days (or within one day for people at higher risk of foodborne illness) or freeze them immediately.
  3. COOK – use a thermometer and cook poultry, sausages, minced or stuffed meat dishes to 75°C in the centre. Be aware of the risk of raw or minimally cooked egg dishes (e.g. poached eggs). Vulnerable populations especially should only consume eggs that have been fully cooked (i.e. no runny centre). In addition, follow any cooking instructions on the food packaging. Remember, microwave ovens can cook unevenly. Make sure you follow the recommended stirring and standing times before serving.
  4. SEPARATE – prevent cross contamination, especially between raw meat, seafood, fish or poultry and ready to eat foods like cooked meats, desserts and salads.
  5. DON’T COOK FOR OTHERS IF YOU HAVE GASTRO or feel unwell – you could make them sick too. Ask someone else to cook or get a takeaway.

Keen to learn more?

Download the Food Safety Information Council poster

Test your knowledge with the Food Safety Information Council’s online quiz

Enrol in the Australian Institute Food and Science Technology’s webinar on Tuesday 17 November 2020 @ 2:00pm AEDST