Script
Script
Some people are more at risk from food poisoning than others. Vulnerable groups
include:
pregnant women
young children
the elderly
anyone with a chronic illness.
Special care should be taken when preparing, cooking, serving and storing food for
these groups.
raw and cooked meat - such as chicken and minced meat, and foods containing
them, such as casseroles, curries and lasagne
dairy products - such as custard and dairy based desserts like custard tarts and
cheesecake
eggs and egg products - such as mousse
small goods - such as ham and salami
seafood - such as seafood salad, patties, fish balls, stews containing seafood
and fish stock
cooked rice and pasta
prepared salads - such as coleslaws, pasta salads and rice salads
prepared fruit salads
ready-to-eat foods - such as sandwiches, rolls, and pizza that contain any of the
food above.
Keep high-risk foods out of the temperature danger zone of between 5 °C and 60
°C.
If high-risk foods have been left in the temperature danger zone for up to 2 hours
the food should be reheated, refrigerated or consumed.
If high-risk foods have been left in the temperature danger zone for longer than 2
hours, but less than 4 hours, they should be consumed immediately.
Throw out any high-risk foods that have been left in the temperature danger zone
for more than 4 hours.
Cook all food to a temperature of 75 °C
How you cook food is very important. Different foods need a different approach:
Aim for an internal temperature of 75 °C or hotter when you cook food. Heating
foods to this temperature kills most food poisoning bacteria. Use a thermometer
to check the internal temperature of foods during the cooking process.
Cook mince, sausages, whole chickens or stuffed meats right through to the
centre. You should not be able to see any pink meat and the juices should be
clear.
Generally you can cook steak, chops and whole cuts of red meat to your
preference as food poisoning bacteria are mostly on the surface. However, if you
are at a greater risk of the more serious effects of toxoplasmosis (for example,
you are pregnant or immunocompromised) you should ensure your meat is
cooked thoroughly to reduce that risk.
Cook fish until it flakes easily with a fork.
Cook foods made from eggs such as omelettes and baked egg custards
thoroughly.
Avoid giving food containing raw eggs to pregnant women, young children, elderly
people and anyone with a chronic illness.
Cut food into evenly sized pieces if possible or put larger or thicker items towards
the outside edge of the dish.
Cover the food with a microwave-safe lid or microwave plastic wrap. This will trap
the steam and promote more even cooking.
Rotate and stir food during cooking.
Wait until the standing time is over before you check that the cooking is
complete. Food continues to cook even after the microwave is turned off.
If you need to keep food warm, keep it hotter than 60 °C and out of the temperature
danger zone.
Under ideal conditions, cooked food can be stored in the fridge for a few days. If you
want to keep cooked food longer, freeze the food immediately after cooling in the fridge.
Always store cooked food separately from raw food, especially raw meats, poultry and
fish. Keep raw meats and poultry at the bottom of the fridge to avoid raw juices dripping
onto other food. Ensure that all food is covered or sealed.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-safety-when-cooking