When can food prepared at home be served in an operation

Table of Contents Show

Beware of the temperature danger zone
Take special care with high-risk foods
Storing food in the fridge
Freezing food safely
Storing cooked food safely
Avoid refreezing thawed food
Store raw food separately from cooked food
Choose strong, non-toxic food storage containers
If in doubt, throw it out!
Where to get help
People at risk from food poisoning
Safety when cooking high-risk foods
High-risk foods and the temperature danger zone
Cook all food to a temperature of 75 °C
Food safety with raw eggs
Food safety and microwave cooking
Cooling and storing food
Reheat food to steaming hot
Where to get help

Keep high-risk food at 5 °C or below or above 60 °C to avoid the temperature danger zone and food poisoning.
Store raw foods below cooked foods.
Store food in suitable, covered containers.
Avoid refreezing thawed foods.
Check and observe the use-by dates on food products.
Take special care with high-risk foods.

Food poisoning is frequently caused by bacteria from foods that have been incorrectly stored, prepared, handled or cooked. Food contaminated with food poisoning bacteria may look, smell and taste normal. If food is not stored properly, the bacteria in it can multiply to dangerous levels.

Watch this video about storing food safely.

Beware of the temperature danger zone

Food poisoning bacteria grow and multiply fastest in the temperature danger zone between 5 °C and 60 °C. It is important to keep high-risk food out of this temperature zone.

Take special care with high-risk foods

Food poisoning bacteria can grow and multiply on some types of food more easily than others. High-risk foods include:

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
smallgoods - 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 pizzas that contain any of the food above.

Food that comes in packages, cans and jars can become high-risk foods once opened, and should be handled and stored correctly.

Storing food in the fridge

Your fridge temperature should be at 5 °C or below. The freezer temperature should be below -15 °C. Use a thermometer to check the temperature in your fridge.

Freezing food safely

When shopping, buy chilled and frozen foods at the end of your trip and take them home to store as quickly as possible. On hot days or for trips longer than 30 minutes, try to take an insulated cooler bag or ice pack to keep frozen foods cold. Keep hot and cold foods separate while you take them home.

When you arrive home, put chilled and frozen foods into the fridge or freezer immediately. Make sure foods stored in the freezer are frozen hard.

Storing cooked food safely

When you have cooked food and want to cool it:

Put hot food into shallow dishes or separate into smaller portions to help cool the food as quickly as possible.
Don't put very hot food into the refrigerator. Wait until steam has stopped rising from the food before putting it in the fridge.

Avoid refreezing thawed food

Food poisoning bacteria can grow in frozen food while it is thawing, so avoid thawing frozen food in the temperature danger zone. Keep defrosted food in the fridge until it is ready to be cooked. If using a microwave oven to defrost food, cook it immediately after defrosting.

As a general rule, avoid refreezing thawed food. Food that is frozen a second time is likely to have higher levels of food poisoning bacteria. The risk depends on the condition of the food when frozen, and how the food is handled between thawing and refreezing. Raw food should never be refrozen once thawed.

Store raw food separately from cooked food

Raw food and cooked food should be stored separately in the fridge. Bacteria from raw food can contaminate cold cooked food, and the bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels if the food is not cooked thoroughly again.

Always store raw food in sealed or covered containers at the bottom of the fridge. Keep raw foods below cooked foods, to avoid liquid such as meat juices dripping down and contaminating the cooked food.

Choose strong, non-toxic food storage containers

Make sure your food storage containers are clean and in good condition, and only use them for storing food. Cover them with tight-fitting lids, foil or plastic film to minimise potential contamination. Transfer the contents of opened cans into suitable containers.

If in doubt, throw it out!

Throw out high-risk food left in the temperature danger zone for more than 4 hours - don't put it in the fridge and don't keep it for later. Check the use-by dates on food products and discard out-of-date food. If you are uncertain of the use-by date, throw it out.

Where to get help

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Cook food properly – to at least 75 °C or hotter.
Use a thermometer to check the temperature of cooked foods.
If you use a microwave, check that the food is cooked evenly throughout.
Cook foods made from eggs thoroughly.
Cool and store cooked food as soon as possible.
Reheat food until steaming hot.

The way we cook our food is as important as the way we prepare and store it. Inadequate cooking is a common cause of food poisoning. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked foods, such as from hands, chopping boards or utensils, can also cause food poisoning. Most foods, especially meat, poultry, fish and eggs, should be cooked thoroughly to kill most types of food poisoning bacteria.

In general, food should be cooked to a temperature of at least 75 °C or hotter. When food is cooked, it should be eaten promptly, kept hotter than 60 °C, or cooled, covered and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Watch this video about cooking food safely.

People at risk from food poisoning

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.

Safety when cooking high-risk foods

Food poisoning bacteria grow more easily on some foods than others. High-risk foods include:

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.

High-risk foods and the temperature danger zone

Take care with high-risk foods. You should remember to:

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.

Food safety with raw eggs

Take extra care when preparing foods that contain raw egg, such as homemade mayonnaise, sauces, such as hollandaise, and desserts, such as tiramisu and mousse. Bacteria present on eggshells and inside the egg can contaminate these types of food and cause food poisoning.

Avoid giving food containing raw eggs to pregnant women, young children, elderly people and anyone with a chronic illness.

Food safety and microwave cooking

Microwaves are a quick and convenient way to cook food. However, if they are not used correctly, they can cook food unevenly. This may leave food partially cooked or not reaching a uniform temperature of 75 °C. When you cook food in the microwave:

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.

Cooling and storing food

If you need to store food for later use, wait until the steam stops rising, cover the food and put it in the fridge. This helps keep the food out of the temperature danger zone as fast as possible. Large portions of food cool faster when you put them into shallow trays or divide them into smaller portions. 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.

Reheat food to steaming hot

Reheat food until it is steaming hot - above 75 °C or, preferably, boiling. Food should steam throughout, not just on the edges. Take care when reheating food in a microwave oven. Follow the same actions as when cooking with a microwave to ensure all the food is heated to above 75 °C.