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Food poisoning in fridges can double over festive season
22 December, 2009
Consumers are being warned not to overload their fridge this festive season, with a new survey revealing a disturbing number of household fridges are storing food at the wrong temperature, Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan said today.
During the Christmas and summer period, the number of cases associated with food poisoning bacteria can double with hot weather, cooking for more people than usual, overloading fridges, and preparing unfamiliar foods.
“The fridge survey by the NSW Food Authority found while the majority of fridges are operating at the correct temperature, they can be almost twice as warm as they should be when groceries are unpacked,” Mr Whan said.
“The fridge can be extremely full at this time of year with ham, turkey and seafood - but it’s important consumers don’t overload their fridge.
“Fridges need to be kept at 5 degrees or below, otherwise food such as raw meats, seafood, custard and cream-based desserts can spoil and families risk food poisoning.
“The survey tested 57 household refrigerators over the course of a typical weekend and monitored the temperature, fridge seal and age of the fridge over the period of one year.
“The temperature was recorded every 10 minutes, and each time the door was opened an explanation was provided.
“Generally the older the fridge, the more likely that its seal is not working efficiently and food is stored at the wrong temperature - in some cases the fridges were almost twice as warm as they should be.
“The temperature can also be affected when people unpack groceries into the fridge or during cleaning.
“When loading your fridge with groceries and drinks, the survey revealed it can take up to four hours for some fridges to cool back down to their correct temperature, so for parties it’s best to chill drinks in an esky or ice bucket to reduce the load on your fridge and keep it at a constant temperature.”
The four golden rules of food safety are to keep it cold, keep it clean, keep it hot, and check the label. “In general, all cold food should be stored at 5oC and below, while hot food should be stored above 60oC,” Mr Whan said.
“An estimated 5.4 million Australians suffer foodborne illness each year from both food for sale and home storage and preparation. “The NSW Government is tackling this issue – we’re working with councils to increase food inspections, continuing the Name & Shame initiative, and we are introducing mandatory food safety supervisors, which comes into effect next year.”
Keep it cool
· Keep the fridge at 5oC or below
· Put any food that needs to be kept cold in the fridge straight away
· Don't eat food that’s meant to be in the fridge if it’s been left out for two hours or more
· Defrost and marinate foods – especially meats - in the fridge
· Shop with a cooler bag, picnic with an esky
Keep it clean
· Wash hands thoroughly before starting to prepare or eat any food, even a snack
· Keep benches, kitchen equipment and tableware clean and dry
· Separate raw and cooked food and use different cutting boards and knives for both
· Don't let raw meat juices drip onto other foods
· Avoid making food for others if sick
Keep it hot
· Cook foods until they're steaming hot
· Reheat foods until they're steaming hot
· Look for clear juices before serving chicken, turkey or pork, which need to be cooked through;
· Make sure there's no pink left in cooked meats such as mince or sausages
· Cook marinades with meat juices before serving
Check the label
· Don’t eat food past a 'use by' date
· Follow storage and cooking instructions
· Be allergy aware
· Ask for information about unpackaged foods
Full details of the fridge survey and food safety tips can be found at:
www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au
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