Stay cool & handle with care for Food Safety Week
Fylde Borough Council is advising local residents to take extra care with the way they prepare and handle food.
Selection of different food
Fylde Borough Council is advising local residents to take extra care with the way they prepare and handle food.
The advice comes as part of national Food Safety Week, which takes place from 15 to 22 June and this year focuses on raising awareness of good food hygiene practice, particularly in the over 60 age group which has seen a recent sharp rise in cases of listeria food poisoning – with reported cases doubling since 2000.
Listeria is a type of food poisoning bacteria that can be present in chilled ready-to-eat foods such as pre-packed sandwiches, pate and soft mould-ripened cheeses. Poor temperature controls and failure to adhere to shelf life guidance can enable the bacteria to grow to hazardous levels. It is therefore essential that these foods are stored at the correct fridge temperature of between 0 and 5 degrees centigrade and consumed within the ‘use-by’ date on the packaging.
Food Safety logo
Councillor Cheryl Little, Cabinet Member for Social Wellbeing, said: “The summer weather always leads people to eat more salads and raw foods and also the increased heat means food goes off much quicker if it is left on a counter rather than in the fridge. I would remind all residents to be mindful of the message this awareness week carries.”
Whilst this is a very serious risk it is one that can easily be reduced by following some simple hygiene advice by following the four 'C's of - cooking - cleaning -chilling and cross- .
Remember the following tips; they are especially important when planning warm weather barbeques:
- Ensure that all food is cooked thoroughly and that there are no ‘pink bits’.
- Clean your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
- Make sure food is chilled at the correct temperature and keep meat towards the lower shelves of the fridge. Defrost any frozen meats thoroughly before cooking.
- Do not allow raw meat to come into contact with cooked food and use separate utensils for raw and cooked meat to avoid cross-contamination. Avoid putting cooked food on a plate or surface that has been used for raw meat unless it has been washed thoroughly.
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