Food Safety Week

The focus for National Food Safety Week in 2010 was raising awareness about Campylobacter. Campylobacter is a food poisoning bacteria found in poultry and raw meat. You can also get campylobacter from infected pets and other animals. It is the commonest cause of food poisoning in Britain. In Bracknell in 2009 there were 134 cases of Campylobacter reported.

You should not be unduly worried about food poisoning as there are some simple, common sense steps that can be taken to avoid getting ill. Just storing, handling and preparing food properly will minimise the risk.

Storage

Keep raw poultry and meat at the bottom of the fridge, if possible in a container, to keep it away from ready to eat foods like, salad, vegetables and fruit.
The temperature of your fridge should be between 0 and 5°C.
When defrosting meat you should never put it on the work surfaces, always put it in the fridge to defrost.

Handling and preparation

Do not wash meat before cooking it. It does not get rid of the bacteria, in fact it can spread the bacteria around your kitchen, for example on work surfaces in the sink and on utensils.
When you are preparing or chopping raw meat make sure you use separate chopping boards, knives or utensils or thoroughly wash them before preparing ready to eat foods. It is best to use hot water and washing up liquid then a single use cloth, for example kitchen rolls and an antibacterial spray after.
As well as the equipment make sure you wash your hands after touching meat. Your hands can also spread the bacteria onto anything you touch or other food. Make sure you use an antibacterial soap, preferably liquid soap, and dry them thoroughly.

Cooking

Cooking meat will kill the food poisoning bacteria if done properly. Make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked all the way through, is piping hot, is not pink inside and that the juices are running clear.

Why not take the 5 minute quiz below to check that you understand all the steps to take when handling raw meat.

If you require more information about Food Safety Week or food poisoning contact the Environmental Health Commercial Team on 01344 352000 or environmental.health@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

This information is also available in a Fact Sheet in the documents section on the right hand side of this page

top

Food Safety Quiz

Raw meat should be stored at the top or bottom of the fridge? True or False
You should wash meat before cooking it? True or False
It is important to clean chopping boards and utensils after using them for raw meat? True or False
You only need to clean your hands and kitchen surfaces when they look dirty? True or False
Why is it important to dry your hands after washing them?
1. So they don’t drip
2. So your hands don’t get cold
3. Germs spread easily on wet hands
If something is cooked on the outside it will definitely be cooked on the inside? True or False
How can you tell that chicken is cooked properly?
1. It is hot on the outside
2. It’s not pink
3. The juices run clear
4. It’s golden brown
5. After the stated time on the instructions
6. It’s steaming hot all the way through

Answers

Raw meat should be stored at the top or bottom of the fridge? False

Raw meat should be stored covered at the bottom of the fridge to avoid it dripping onto other foods and causing food poisoning through cross-contamination.

You should wash meat before cooking it? False

Research has shown that bacteria in water droplets can spread easily, by splashing onto worktops, dishes and other foods. This makes food poisoning more likely to occur.

It is important to clean chopping boards and utensils after using them for raw meat? True

Bacteria can transfer from the meat to the chopping boards / utensils. If they are then used for ready-to-eat foods without being washed, that bacteria can then transfer to food. This is known as cross-contamination.

You only need to clean your hands and kitchen surfaces when they look dirty? False

You can’t see bacteria with the naked eye, so there is no way to tell if your hands and work surfaces are clean. You should therefore always wash your hands and surfaces before and after food preparation.

Why is it important to dry your hands after washing them? Germs spread more easily from wet hands

Evidence has shown that bacteria spread more readily in the presence of moisture, so always dry your hands after washing them thoroughly.

If something is cooked on the outside it will definitely be cooked on the inside? False

Cooking involves heat penetrating the food from the outside, so although the surface may be cooked the centre may not be. It is therefore important to make sure that the food is thoroughly cooked all the way through.

How can you tell that chicken is cooked properly? It’s not pink and the juices run clear and it’s steaming hot all the way through

To ensure chicken is properly cooked, you should check the thickest bit of meat, either large pieces in something like a curry, or with a roast bird at the thickest part between the breast and leg. The meat should be steaming hot, with no pinkness and any juices should run clear.