Published by Australian Academy of Science
When bugs have you on the run Box 4 | Safe cooking

Microorganisms are naturally present in food. Preparing food for consumption (washing, peeling, cooking) reduces the microbial contamination and renders the food safe. Food not consumed immediately must be stored hot (above 60°C) or cold (below 5°C) to limit the growth of any surviving bacteria. (As a general rule, large numbers of bacteria are required to cause food poisoning.) Care must also be taken to ensure that other microbes (bacteria, viruses, parasites) are not introduced onto ready-to-eat foods through careless food handling and food hygiene practices.

Here are a few basic food-handling rules that have stood the test of time:

Clean it

• Always wash hands before starting food preparation, before handling new food, after finishing food preparation and before serving.
• Wash fruit and vegetables in cold running water.

• Prevent cross-contamination by never letting raw meat or poulty, or their juices, come into contact with other food. This can be done by using separate chopping boards, knives, other implements and benchtop wipers for different food types. A plastic or glass chopping board is best for meat.
• Immediately wash all implements used in the preparation of raw meat and poultry with detergent and hot water.
• Keep pets away from food and food preparation areas and equipment.

Cook it

• Most pathogenic bacteria don't survive cooking at high temperatures. Cook food to an internal temperature of 75°C.
• Cook rolled roasts, minced meats and poultry until there is no trace of pink in the juices.
• If reheating leftovers, cover and reheat thoroughly to 75°C to kill any bacteria that have survived in the food during cooling and refrigeration.
• Keeping dinners 'warm' is not a good idea. Keep the temperature above 60°C, or cool and refrigerate.

Cool it

• Refrigerate raw meat and poultry as soon as possible after bringing it from the shop.
• Refrigerate perishable food as soon as possible after cooking.
• Refrigerate or freeze cooked food in shallow pans rather than deep pots to allow quick cooling.
• Never thaw frozen meat and poultry at room temperature. Thaw it in the fridge, quickly under cold running water or in the microwave.
• Remember that refrigeration does not kill bacteria, it only slows down their growth.

Related site

• Food Safety Net (Food Safety Campaign Group, Australia)

Other boxes

Box 1. Common microbial agents of food-poisoning

Box 2. Food preservation

Box 3. Chemicals in food