Hambleton residents are being urged to adopt the 4C’s of food hygiene.
As part of this weeks Foods Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Safety Week (19 – 25 June), district council Environmental Health Officers are reminding people that the risk of food poisoning increases in the summer due to the warmer weather and they need to take extra care with prepared foods.
“We all love it when the weather gets warmer,” said Councillor Stephen Watson, portfolio holder for Environmental Health.
“But we need to think harder about food safety in the summer. New research from the FSA’s Food and You survey indicates that households could be putting themselves and their families at risk of food poisoning through lack of knowledge of the 4Cs of food hygiene – Chilling, Cooking, Cleaning and avoiding Cross-contamination.”
The FSA recommends that:
- fridge temperatures are kept between 0°C and 5°C
- frozen meat is thoroughly defrosted before being cooked, preferably at the bottom of the fridge overnight
- different chopping boards are used for different foods to prevent cross-contamination between raw and ready to eat foods, for example cooked meats and sandwiches
- raw chicken is not washed as washing chicken risks spreading bacteria
- hands are thoroughly washed before starting to prepare food, after handling raw food, after handling rubbish, after going to the toilet and after touching pets.
For tips on how to stay safe this summer visit: https://www.food.gov.uk/safe-summer-food