7 food safety tips for the festive season

Having a food filled Christmas? Learn the basics of food safety this festive season and beyond with these tips!

Food poisoning is a risk all year round, the festive season is always a higher risk period with more food being consumed. Bacteria can multiply easily and reach unsafe levels when the temperature rises, resulting in illness. Being well prepared is important so that everyone gets through the festive season without illness.

Here are some ways you can reduce your risk of food poisoning :

• Keep chilled food cold at 5 °C or colder and hot food hot at 60 °C or hotter
• Foods should be cooked to temperature of at least 75°C or hotter
• Wash fruit and veggies before eating
• Keep raw food and ready-to-eat food separate, including using separate utensils
• Don’t eat food in damaged packaging or food that is past it’s use-by date
• Thoroughly wash and dry hands before cooking or preparing food, and after touching raw animal products
• If you’re not sure if something is safe to eat, don’t take a risk, throw it out in your green-lid FOGO bin.

For more information on food safety, please visit the Better Health Victoria website.