Consider these tips.
Know your expiry terms
A ‘use by’ date is put on foods that will make you ill if they have gone off – such as meat, fish, poultry, dairy, etc. Never eat them after the ‘use by’ date. Food with a ‘best before’ date can usually be eaten after that date. Dry food – such as biscuits – won’t go off quickly, but they won’t taste their best.
When is it safe to reheat leftovers?
Microwaves can leave cold spots, unless the food is mixed halfway through heating, for thorough overall heating. Cold spots mean the bacteria are still present.
Reheating rice
Rice carries an extra risk because of a bacteria called bacillus cereus. It produces a toxin that is not destroyed by heat. So while reheating rice kills the bacteria it does not remove the toxin.
To reduce the risks, put cooked rice in the fridge as soon as it’s cool, and only reheat it once.
Rules of Food Safety
CLEAN
Wash your hands and kitchen surfaces often. Germs can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, and cutting boards. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.
SEPARATE
Don’t cross-contaminate. Even after you have cleaned your hands and surfaces thoroughly, raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can still spread germs to ready-to-eat foods—unless you keep them separate.
COOK
Cook to the right temperature. While many people think they can tell when food is “done” simply by checking its colour and texture, there’s no way to be sure it’s safe without following a few important but simple steps.
Use a food thermometer (if you have one) to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 62.8°C for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before consuming), 71°C for ground meats, and 74°C for all poultry.
CHILL
Keep your refrigerator below 4°C and refrigerate foods properly. Germs can grow in many foods within 2 hours unless you refrigerate them. (When the weather is hot, cut that time down to 1 hour.)
Keep your fridge within the safe range (between 0°C and 5°C). Don’t put warm food into the fridge as it can quickly raise the temperature to unsafe levels. Wait until food has cooled to room temperature before you put it in the fridge.
To learn more about tips and techniques to keep foods safe and prevent food poisoning, check this link
