There are millions of food poisoning cases in Australia every year and some can result in hospitalisations and even deaths, however many of these can be prevented.
Food scientists at the (TIA) are reminding the public during this week’s Australian Food Safety Week to check the important food safety instructions on packaged food and use common sense when it comes to deciding if food is safe to eat.
The theme of this year’s Food Safety Week is ‘Look before you cook – read the food labels.’
Professor Tom Ross is an expert in in food microbiology at TIA. He said there are some simple steps people can take to remain healthy such as checking food safety instructions on packaged food.
“Make sure you read the packaging and check the use-by-dates,” Professor Ross said.
“Check the best before and the use-by dates on packaged food before you buy them and before you eat them.
“You can eat foods after their best before date, but they just might not taste as fresh or not have the same nutritional value. You shouldn’t eat them after their use-by date though.”
He’s got some advice for products that don’t have a visible use-by-date.
“Some very long-life foods, such as cans, may not have a visible use-by-date but you can check the cans and if they have any signs of swelling, dents or rusting they should be thrown out,” Professor Ross said.
“Always use your common sense and make sure the product is not spoiled before you eat it.”
There’s more you can do to escape a bout of food poisoning than just reading the labels. Professor Ross said washing raw chicken under running water could pose a health risk.
“Washing raw chicken can splash dangerous bacteria around the kitchen. The best thing to do is to cook the chicken without washing it,” he said.
“Open the chicken package in a sink and release the fluid. After that, rinse the sink with hot tap water, it doesn’t need to be boiling.”
Professor Ross said a major and preventable cause of foodborne illness in Tasmania is cross contamination. Bacteria can survive for long periods on surfaces like countertops, utensils, cutting boards, storage containers, and food manufacturing equipment.
When equipment is not washed properly or unknowingly contaminated with bacteria, it can transfer large volumes of harmful bacteria to food.
“Clean your hands after you’ve handled meat products, wash your knives, wash your cutting boards before using them with other parts of the meal particularly if those other parts won’t be cooked, like salads,” he said.
Long-life milk is another major issue. If not opened and stored in dry conditions long-life milk can last up to nine months.
“It’s a good idea to always check the best before date to ensure the milk is safe to enjoy. Once opened it needs to be refrigerated and can be used normally within about seven days,” Professor Ross said.
“Many people think they don’t have to refrigerate long life milk but it can cause serious problems if it isn’t.”
