Keeping food safe

The summer heat can quickly turn food into a haven of stomach turning bugs. Here are top tips to keep your food safe this summer:

• make sure your hands are washed and dried thoroughly before and after handling food
• make sure all tools and surfaces you are using the prepare the food are clean
• defrost thoroughly before cooking
• don't rerefreeze food
• if barbecuing, precook meat especially chicken. There should be no blood visible when eating chicken
• reheat food until steaming - only reheat once
• ensure raw meat is properly wrapped to stop drips
• keep raw meat, especially chicken separate from other food
• keep food covered and cool until ready to eat
• throw out perishable food that you have left at room temperature for more than 2 hours
• use one set of utensils for raw meat and poultry and another for cooked food
• perishable food, especially meat, should not be left unchilled for more than 30 minutes

Find more Summer articles

• Summer events in your area
• Water safety tips
• Delicious summer food recipes
• What to pack if you go camping
• Fun family activities
• Sunscreen and your kids
• Sun safe tips for summer
• Games for the car

This article was prepared for Kidspot. Sources include FoodSmart