Since we are in the festive season, there is so much to eat and drink. As such, the possibility of experiencing food poisoning is very high. However, you can take a number of simple measures to prevent food contamination and reduce your risk of getting sick from tainted food so that you get the best out of this festive period!
Refrigerate raw meat or poultry immediately Unless you are preparing raw meat or poultry immediately, put them in the refrigerator. This will prevent germs from taking over. Once it’s in the refrigerator, however, don’t keep it for more than two or three days.
Defrost food safely
The essential thing to remember is to not refrigerate food at room temperature. The safest way to defrost food is to actually do it in the fridge — moving it from the freezer to the fridge a day or so before you plan to cook it. If you microwave frozen food using the defrost settings, make sure to cook it immediately. Otherwise, bacteria has time and an ideal temperature in which to grow.
Cool leftovers quickly
If you have cooked food that you’re not going to eat straight away, cool it as quickly as possible and store it in the fridge or freezer. Use any leftovers from the fridge within 2 days.
Respect expiry dates
Don’t eat food that has past its expiry date, even if it looks and smells fresh. Use-by dates are based on scientific tests that show how quickly harmful bugs can develop in the packaged food.
Wash your hands
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry them before handling food, as well as after touching the bin, going to the toilet, blowing your nose or touching animals.
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