Food Poisoning in the Home

Most food poisoning takes place in the home and is an unpleasant illness which usually occurs within 1 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. Symptoms normally last from 1 to 7 days and include one or more of the following: abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.

By following some simple rules you can reduce the risk of your family being affected.

Never had food poisoning? Perhaps you have, but thought you just had a 'dose of the runs'. At the right temperature, bacteria you can’t see, smell or taste can multiply to millions in a few short hours. In large numbers, they cause illness.

Some foods are more likely to cause food poisoning, these foods are called HIGH RISK FOODS and they must always be kept apart from raw foods.

Examples include:-

• all cooked meat and poultry
• cooked meat products including gravy and stocks
• milk, cream, artificial cream, custard and dairy products
• shellfish and other seafoods
• cooked rice

The Most Common Mistakes Resulting in Food Poisoning

1. Food prepared too far in advance
2. Inadequate cooling
3. Inadequate re-heating
4. Undercooking
5. Inadequate thawing
6. Raw food contaminating cooked food
7. Storing food at room temperature
8. Use of leftovers

When Out Shopping

1. Buy cold food last, get it home fast.
2. Take food straight home to the refrigerator. Never leave food in a hot car!
3. Don’t buy anything you won’t use before the 'Use by' date.
4. Don’t buy food in poor condition.
5. Make sure refrigerated food is cold to the touch.
6. Frozen food should be rock-solid.
7. Canned goods should be free of dents, cracks or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.   

When You Store Food

Keep it safe, refrigerate.

• Always store High Risk Food above raw food
• Check the temperature of your refrigerator with a thermometer (a refrigerator thermometer will only cost you a couple of pounds)
• Rotate stock so that older stock is used first
• Never place hot food in the refrigerator
• Keep food covered, don't overload the fridge
• Don't store open cans of food; use a covered bowl
• Don't leave the door open
• The correct temperature for your refrigerator is between 1°C and 4°C. The freezer should be at -18°C.

Freeze fresh meat, poultry or fish immediately if you can’t use it within a few days. Put raw meat, poultry or fish on a plate and cover with clingfilm before refrigerating so their juices won’t drip on other food. Place thawing food in the bottom of the refrigerator so that they can't drip on to other foods. Raw juices often contain bacteria.

In the Event of a Power Cut

Your Freezer, if full, will keep everything frozen for about 2 days without power. A half-full freezer will keep food frozen 1 day.

Providing you keep the door closed!

If power will be off for an extended period, try moving the food to friends’ freezers. Your refrigerator, without power, will keep food cool 4-6 hours depending on the kitchen temperature. Thawed food? Food that still feels refrigerator-cold can be cooked and used immediately. Discard any thawed food that has risen to room temperature and remained there 2 hours or more.

Immediately discard anything with a strange colour or odour.

When You Prepare Food

Keep everything clean

• Wash hands in hot soapy water before preparing food
• After using the bathroom
• In-between handling raw and cooked food
• After handling pets

Bacteria can live in kitchen towels, sponges and cloths. Wash them often. Replace sponges every few weeks.

Keep raw meat, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your hands, cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. Use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide in grooves and soak in to wood.

Thaw food in the microwave or refrigerator, NOT on the kitchen work surface . The danger? Bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws. Marinate in the refrigerator too.

Remember that pets can carry bacteria too, kept them out of the kitchen and clean any worksurface or equipment that they have been near before use.

When You Cook Food

Cook thoroughly: It takes thorough cooking to kill harmful bacteria, so you’re taking chances when you eat meat, poultry, fish or eggs that are raw or only partly cooked. Never eat under cooked poultry or minced meat products such as burgers.

If possible use a meat thermometer to check that it’s cooked all the way through. To check visually, red meat is done when it’s brown or grey inside. Poultry juices run clear. Fish flakes with a fork.

Salmonella, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, can grow inside fresh, unbroken eggs. So, cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Scramble eggs to a firm texture. Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked. When you cook ahead, divide large portions of food into small, shallow containers for refrigeration. This ensures safe, rapid cooling.

Safe Microwaving

A great timesaver, the microwave has one food safety disadvantage. It sometimes leaves cold spots in food. Bacteria can survive in these spots. So...

• Cover food with a lid or clingfilm so steam can aid thorough cooking. Vent wrap and make sure it doesn’t touch the food.
• Stir and rotate your food for even cooking.
• No turntable? Rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.
• Observe the standing time called for in a recipe or package directions. During the standing time, food finishes cooking.
• Use a temperature probe or a meat thermometer to check that food is done. Insert it at several spots.

When You Serve Food

Use clean dishes and utensils to serve food, not those used in preparation. Serve grilled food on a clean plate too, not one that held raw meat, poultry or fish.

Never leave perishable food out of the refrigerator over 1.5 hours! Bacteria that can cause food poisoning grow quickly in warm temperatures.

Pack lunches in insulated carriers with a cold pack. Caution children never to leave lunches in direct sun or on a warm radiator. Carry picnic food in a cooler with a cold pack. When possible, put the cooler in the shade. Keep the lid on as much as you can.

Party Time?

Keep cold party food on ice or serve it throughout the gathering from platters from the refrigerator. Divide hot party food into smaller serving platters. Keep platters refrigerated until time to warm them up for serving.

Leftovers?

Use small containers for quick cooling: Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers and cover with clingfilm, cool in a cool dry area then refrigerator as soon as possible.

Don’t pack the refrigerator - cool air must circulate to keep foods safe.

With poultry or other stuffed meats remove stuffing and refrigerate it in separate containers.

Reheating

Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 75°C. Microwave leftovers using a lid or vented plastic wrap for thorough heating.

Kept It Too Long?

To ensure food safety - When in doubt, throw it out:

What about something you totally forgot about and may have kept too long? - Never use food that is beyond it's 'Use By' date.

Danger - never taste food that looks or smells strange to see if you can still use it. Just discard it. Is it mouldy? The mould you see is only the tip of the iceberg. The poisons moulds can form are found under the surface of the food. So, while you can sometimes save hard cheese and salamis and firm fruits and vegetables by cutting the mould out - remove a large area around it, most mouldy food should be discarded.